Possession movies are at an all-time height in popularity right now thanks to franchise favorites The Conjuring and Insidious. The bloody, gory, slashers of old have stepped aside (but appear to be on a return trajectory) for the demonic, ghostly, and the PG-13-eeny. And I, for one, am not opposed to this, provided the films are good of course. Though, in my perfect world we'd being receiving a steady stream of diverse horror films i.e. hauntings, slashers, possessions, gothic, and monster movies.
The problem that arises when you have an over-saturation of a single genre is that everything feels and looks the same. What filmmakers have to do is strive for new ways to present the same story. This can be a double-edged sword though. If a movie strays too far from the path it runs the risk of not being accepted but if it stays too familiar it runs the risk of being dismissed as just another genre film. And then you have to account for a fickle audience who, one week, want something new but come next week they want the same ol' thing as before.
I wasn't aware of THE POSSESSION OF HANNAH GRACE until about a month ago. I saw the trailer and based off of that I knew the film would be a low budget horror film, offering the minimum requisite thrills and suspense, attempting to cash in on the possession movie craze. I went in expecting a run of the mill horror film and I came out pleasantly surprised. I thought the acting was fine and the film had a cool slant on a tired premise. There were just enough unique elements to keep me interested and in suspense.
For a little "out of season" horror film I quite enjoyed it.
THE PLOT
Megan just started a new job as the third shift attendant at the coroner's office. Her second night on the job a strange body is admitted, the body of a mangled and brutalized young woman. As the night wears on a security guard goes missing, a nurse disappears, and other strange occurrences happen. Megan finds herself in the grip of a man with a knife. He tells her that the corpse of the young woman isn't dead and that he needs to incinerate the body, cremation being the only way left to him to kill the demon in the body.
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
Like I stated above, from the trailer it was apparent that The Possession of Hannah Grace was going to be a small film with little to offer. That was what I was expecting and I came out having received more than I bargained for. If you're expecting the next Conjuring or Exorcist prepare to be disappointed. If you're wanting a little escapist horror film than you're in for a treat.
The strengths of the film rest in the atmosphere and setting. The beginning of the film has Shay Mitchell's character, Megan, being taken on a tour of the coroner's office and shown her duties. In this sequence we too are taking the tour and learning the basics of the movie and its setting. The coroner's office is setup very well as a creepy and atmospheric place rife with horror potential. This setting is utilized to great effect in the film, both the atmosphere and the setting feeding off each other. The place is already scary without a possessed corpse running around in it.
Enter Hannah Grace a.k.a. Kirby Johnson. Actress Kirby Johnson is the film's unsung hero, performing nearly the entire film in the nude with brutal looking gory make-up appliances. Johnson's real life contortionist skills are put to terrifying and disturbing use here. She fills you with dread just lying on the morgue drawer motionless and then takes the horror to another level once she starts to move.
Shay Mitchell does a fine job as the protagonist, portraying a struggling woman whose life has gone off the rails. She showcases both strength and vulnerability throughout the film. Megan came across as very stalwart and engaging heroine in what could've been a "by the numbers" role. The film builds this stoic and redemptive character very well that by the end of the film I kept thinking, "This would make a great origin story for a demon hunter." If Megan would continue into another film dispatching things that go bump in the night I'd be there to watch. In fact, the women are among the stronger elements of the film including a bit part by Stana Katic.
The peculiar slant on the story is that the exorcism failed and Hannah Grace could not be saved. But the demon is still in possession of the body. In order to stop it the body must be utterly destroyed. This premise combined with a wonderful setting and atmosphere and quality acting by both leading ladies made for a fun horror film.
What didn't help the film, in my opinion, was the strange sound design. During the opening sequence, in which we are privy to Hannah Grace's final moments, there is a scene of an intense exorcism. The sound fades in and out in a strange artistic flavor that neither helped the suspense nor added any novelty. It served more to hinder the intensity of the moment. In addition to this there are some instances of strange camerawork during sequences of terror that didn't land with me.
THE VERDICT
The Possession of Hannah Grace isn't anything more than it sets out to be, a small pot boiler horror film. It's another possession film in a fog of possession films. But what makes The Possession of Hannah Grace stand out from the others is the unique and well executed setting and atmosphere. The acting is good and the premise is just skewed enough to feel fresh. Is it the next great horror film? Not by any means. Is it as bad as the reviews say? Not at all. There's plenty to be enjoyed if you let yourself get into it.
Overall Ranking: 6 out of 10
Nude-O-Meter: 1/2 out of 10
Surprisingly little given one of the main characters spends the majority of the film naked
For more films in the current wave of possessions, ghosts, and demons check out these others!
Netflix has cranked out four seasons of Marvel's shows this year, a record achievement! First there was Jessica Jones S2, then Luke Cage S2, followed by Iron Fist S2. And now we've been given the fourth (and presumably final) Marvel Netflix season for the year, the long awaited DAREDEVIL SEASON THREE!
Netflix's Daredevil has always been a cut above the rest of the Marvel shows. Season One of Daredevil has the advantage of being the first Netflix Marvel show. It was shocking, brutal, and utterly amazing! And it set a nearly R-rated tone for the Netflix corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (I say nearly because they still refuse to drop the F-bomb or show actual nudity save for the sparse butt shots). The hallway fight scene has since become a signature feature of most of the Netflix Marvel shows. Jessica Jones wasn't nearly as compelling on the action front but it made up for the lack of fight scene amazement with incredible performances and an intriguing story.
Then Daredevil Season Two comes out and, in my opinion, surpasses both Daredevil Season One and Jessica Jones both in terms of mind blowing action and bold storytelling. For me Daredevil Season Two hasn't been equaled yet, the only ones coming close being Luke Cage Season Two and Punisher Season One. And now Daredevil Season Three.
Daredevil Season Three is, in a word, amazing! But...
LEGITIMACY IN QUESTION: LAMENTING THE END
Daredevil Season Three is the first Netflix Marvel season that took me a long time to finish. Part of it was the timing of the release in which life had become very busy. The other part of it was the writing, not of the show, but rather on the wall. By now Netflix had cancelled both Iron Fist and Luke Cage. This has left the future of Netflix's Marvel properties in question. With no legitimate connection to the movies i.e. Daredevil, Iron Fist, or any of the others not having appeared in a Marvel Studios film. There is a likely possibility that these shows will not actually be a part of the MCU (despite them saying they were). It's something I've always suspected.
Needless to say, the enthusiasm for Netflix's corner of the Marvel universe, regardless of quality, is drying up. The pessimistic view is that these shows were never really a part of the MCU and will be retconned when Kevin Feige decides to make a Daredevil movie which, why wouldn't you? And ultimately this will be considered a separate universe.
And now they've CANCELLED Daredevil despite stellar reviews and incredible quality. With Disney's own streaming service coming quickly next year and announcements of their own Marvel television shows coming, again, it seems the writing is on the wall. Will I still watch Jessica Jones Season Three and Punisher Season Two (presumably the final chapters in the Netflix MCU)? Punisher probably. Jessica Jones has always been my least favorite of the shows despite high quality acting and David Tennant's wonderful Kilgrave. I just really have a hard time liking Jessica Jones as a character. But who am I kidding, I'm a completist. I'll probably watch it anyway.
Suffice it to say, the truth has finally come out. These Netflix Marvel shows are not a part of the MCU. The whole reason why I started watching these shows and suffered through the shows I didn't really care for was because I thought they were a part of the MCU (and I can't get enough of the MCU!). Knowing now that they are in fact a separate entity all their own takes a little bit of the magic away from it all, not to mention any drive I once had for watching these shows. At one time there was this feeling of "It's all connected! They could pull from any of these in the future in either movies or television! I gotta catch it all!" That feeling is gone now.
THE PLOT
After the epic battle with the Hand at Midland Circle Daredevil a.k.a. Matt Murdock has been missing and presumed dead. Washed out of a sewer pipe, Matt eventually finds his way back to his church. But he isn't the same man he used to be. His body is badly hurt and his powers are gone. Meanwhile, Wilson Fisk has been attacked in prison. Offering to turn states evidence against the criminal underworld, the FBI arranges for Fisk's release from prison. With Fisk out of jail the public begins rioting. Matt senses something's amiss but he can't do anything to fix it until he fixes himself. While Matt tries to heal his body Fisk recruits a new enforcer with a remarkable talent for always hitting the bullseye.
WHAT I LIKED
Kingpin. I know. I know! I always rave about Vincent D'Onofrio in Daredevil. It's because he's so good! And this time the writers have created the twistiest labyrinthine plot around him, in effect, making him far scarier and smarter than he's ever been. THIS IS WHY YOU DON'T KILL THE VILLAINS, MARVEL STUDIOS! I love seeing the classic villains return, upping their game, and pushing the heroes further than they ever have before! The Marvel movies have wasted SO MANY good villains by killing them after one appearance. In this respect, Netflix (specifically Daredevil) can teach the movies a few things.
You know, Marvel, some of us love the villain characters as much as the heroes. Some need to die, sure. Others shouldn't be killed.
Bullseye. I had no idea how they were going to introduce this character, one of Daredevil's greatest villains. They used up Bullseye's greatest moment in Season Two, which was great for Nobu, but not so great for ol' Bullseye. Here they give him a believable and frightening origin and showcase his abilities exceptionally well. I was also surprised to see some clear nods to the Ben Afflect Daredevil movie too in the church sequence as well as the ending. I know it's out of style to say you like the Daredevil movie, but for its time it wasn't half bad and its nice to see them acknowledge the forerunner that paved the way for this show.
The Jail House Rocks. I mean, the jail house sequence rocks! Holy cow! I didn't think anything could top the Punisher vs the Prison sequence in Daredevil Season Two but episode four of Season Three comes damn close. The action! Oh lord almighty, the action! The action throughout this season (and all Daredevil seasons) is stellar and episode four is the peak (for this season. I still think the Punisher vs the Prison edges it out ever so slightly).
Agent Nadeem. At first I was very curious as to why the season was spending so much freakin' time on a seemingly random character. But they turned him into a very intriguing and sympathetic character by the end. I did not see that coming. Well done, Netflix. Of all the extraneous characters in this season he was by far my favorite. And I felt he was wholly realized as a character.
And the Darkness. This show continues to reach some dark levels which always astounds me. As a whole I think this show among all of the Netflix Marvel shows is far and away the highest quality from season to season.
NITPICKS
The beginning of the season felt very sluggish. The recovery of Daredevil seemed dragged out far too long (but admittedly my patience for "Netflix Bloat" has worn very thin. And I don't especially enjoy the "heroes losing their powers and struggling to reclaim them" plot. It's not a bad plot by any means, I just personally don't enjoy them). And as a whole Matt was very annoying this season. He was inching close to Jessica Jones unlikability and that's not good. I get he was dealing with a lot of personal baggage this season, but it was flirting with the edge of going too far.
I also didn't like Daredevil's schizophrenia episodes where Fisk and his Dad visit him in his mind and have conversations with him. Doing internal monologue is always hard to do, especially trying to keep those moments interesting, because it's basically no new information and our character simply collecting his thoughts. They should've used "thought balloons" 😉
'sigh' that was a stupid joke
No greater connectivity. Other than dealing with the fallout of Defenders and name dropping Jessica Jones at the end, there was very little connectivity between Netflix's other Marvel shows. I'll admit that it was nice having a completely Daredevil centric story but, c'mon, where's the team-up episode? What's the point of having a shared universe if you don't utilize it? I'm not talking having Luke Cage come in and stick around for eight episodes. Just one. Just one, people! Daredevil and Iron Fist fighting back to back would've been killer! And with Daredevil's face posted all over the news in this season and all the Defenders believing him dead, it should've been a rallying cry for the other heroes to show up. But no. And now the opportunity is passed! Daredevil has been cancelled! YOU BLEW IT!
Ode to what might've been
Daredevil and Elektra were in a violent (and steamy) embrace at the end of Defenders. If he got flushed out the toilet so should've she, right? It would've been awesome to see Daredevil face off against Typhoid Mary, Bullseye, Elektra, and Kingpin all at once! But, no. More hero team-ups would've been nice. But no. Kingpin's other major enemy, the Punisher! How cool would it have been to see Punisher battle Kingpin? Or Bullseye?! Gah! But no. And of course, Defenders Season Two. BUT NO! So many good things yet unrealized!
I realize how insane I sound but really, I am thankful for all the good things we did get versus the good things we could've had. All in all these Marvel shows for Netflix broke a lot of ground and did some amazing things. They also made a few snafu's but so have the Marvel Studios movies. Nobody's perfect. Still, thank you, Netflix. It's been a fun ride. I guess I'll just have to survive off of Castlevania and Stranger Things from now on.
THE VERDICT
With the writing on the wall (the era of Marvel Netflix team-ups is approaching the end) a ton of enthusiasm for Daredevil was sucked right out. But that didn't stop Marvel Television from delivering one helluva finale to Daredevil. This season was great and it's the perfect example/argument for why NOT killing the villains each time is a good thing! Kingpin is so good in this season. The villains are great all around and the maze-like plot is fantastic. Great writing. Great acting. Great action. There is some painful Netflix Bloat here and there but overall this was a great season.
Overall Ranking: 8 out of 10
For the rest of my ramblings on the Marvel Cinematic Universe check out these other posts below
Hello everyone! As some of you may know, I am writing for the website COMICONVERSE. I have been covering the current comic books from Marvel Comics and BOOM! Studiossuch as Doctor Strange and Kong of Skull Island. And really anything I want to review.
For myself and anyone else interested I am documenting each of my articles here at Blood Work.
If you haven't checked out this latest article here you go!
Look at that cover! My gosh, that is a Man-Thing of beauty!
So, we're three issues in and I am in heaven! Sleepwalker is a longtime favorite of mine (since I was a kid) and a longtime neglected character by Marvel. Writers Chad Bowers and Chris Sims are now heroes of mine for championing such favorites of mine like Death's Head, Darkhawk, and Sleepwalker. And they have some crazy awesome ideas they're employing here.
Once upon a time a writer by the name of Jim Starlin first brought all the Infinity Stones together. And one stone in particular became a great focus for him: the Soul Stone. The Soul Stone's primary keeper has been Adam Warlock, a Starlin favorite. Starlin revealed that a whole other world existed within the Soul Gem, a place naturally referred to as "Soul World." Logic dictates that the other Infinity Gems would also have worlds within them as well, right? Well, no writer has ever delved into such a story... until now.
This book is revealing loads about the Infinity Gems that have never been explored. Sleepwalker and a host of handpicked companions are traveling through the six worlds of the Infinity Stones, five of which have never been shown in a comic before. In short, I'm loving it. It's totally cosmic and crazy and perfectly tailored for Sleepwalker (who, if you recall, took part in the original Infinity Trilogy. He even took on fairly significant roles in Infinity War and Infinity Crusade).
This book is incredibly special and I hope Marvel sees that and makes moves to continue it in some form or another. My choice: keep the same writers and artists on this book and give them a team book consisting of Sleepwalker, Darkhawk, Death's Head, and Nova. Hell, let's throw in Death's Head II and his partner Tuck as well. And let's keep Man-Thing Thang Thoom too. And bring Manny's friend Jennifer Kale along too. Okay, now I'm done.
I'm begging you, Marvel. Do this for me!
Check out my full review by clicking on the link above
Check out my other articles for ComiConverse linked below!
Castlevania is probably my all-time favorite video game franchise. It was the first horror video game series I ever played and it captured my imagination unlike any other. Every single monster you can think of all inside one game, one single story? Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, the Mummy, Medusa, Death, and even the Minotaur and Gill Man? THIS IS AMAZING! Castlevania became an obsession with me from an early age, not merely collecting and playing all of the games, but studying the story, the lore, the characters, the music (oh, how I love the music), the artwork, and more.
And while I absolutely love the monsters (and I think Dracula's greatest incarnation ever across all mediums is his Castlevania rendition) it is the heroes and their saga that has fascinated me more than anything else in the series. Admittedly the heroes get way more attention and development than the villains (obviously as they have to carry the game and the story on their shoulders). Dracula and the monsters don't change in personality too often (their evolution happens more gradually) and really they don't have to change. But the heroes are almost constantly changing (with a few exceptions here and there).
Every great villain needs an equally great hero to oppose them (and the Castlevania version of Dracula I feel is one of the greatest villains of them all).
Suffice it to say, I LOVE CASTLEVANIA'S HEROES!
When I was a kid I used to pretend I was a Belmont on the playground destroying monsters (no wonder I didn't have any friends). In my head I imagined what these characters would look like in real life or in a live action movie. The early games were somewhat sparse on story details (I mean, c'mon, how much story did an NES game need really?) so taking what story elements were there, I'd fill in the gaps in my head with fan theories, drawing conclusions with what evidence Konami did give us. All this is just further evidence that I am a hopeless nerd and think the world of these characters.
As I love nearly all of the heroes from the series there are of course characters I prefer more than others. These are my personal top favorites. Some are my favorites to play as. Some are my favorites for their story too. And some I love for their design. They have to have been playable characters but not necessarily the stars of the game. Some supporting heroes I prefer over some leading heroes.
Without further pointless pontificating from me, here are my favorite Castlevania heroes!
THE BONUS
#11
ERIC LECARDE
Series Appearance: Castlevania Bloodlines
Eric LeCarde is a small footnote in the Castlevania series but nonetheless worth remembering. He stands as the only spear/lance user in the franchise and offers a completely unique playing experience for the series. There literally is no one else in the series like him. Castlevania Bloodlines is an underrated and wonderful game in all aspects. And for a change the plot has very little to do with the heroes and more to do with Elizabeth Bathory (Bartley in the game) trying to resurrect Dracula.
Of the numerous characters and protagonists in the series, Eric LeCarde stands unique and is very fun to play through the game with. It's too bad no one thought to continue LeCarde's play style in a legacy character later on.
THE TOP TEN
#10
HECTOR
Series Appearance: Castlevania: Curse of Darkness
Curse of Darkness is such a cool approach to the series as well as a novel approach to the story. There was a greater battle being fought during the events of Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, details of the story the game never touched on. Hector is a Devil Forge Master or Devilforger and was previously in service to Dracula. The Devilforgers are the people who create Dracula's monsters and armies of undead. Three years after Trevor, Alucard, Grant, and Sypha defeated Dracula, Hector and Dracula's other Devil Forge Master, Isaac, have come to blows. Hector switches allegiances and battles his former allies.
Hector plays the game forging monsters to help him as well as creating magic items and weapons. The game plays nothing like a traditional Castlevania game and that is why it is my favorite of the 3D platform Castlevania games. Hector receives a wicked cool design courtesy of Castlevania's resident artistic genius, Ayami Kojima and he's a lot of fun to play as. And he's one of the few male characters that relies heavily on magic in the series.
#9
MARIA RENARD
Series Appearances: Castlevania: Dracula X a.k.a. Dracula X: Rondo of Blood, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Maria is the second female playable character in the Castlevania franchise and is an active character in the narrative. In Rondo of Blood she is a twelve year old girl, a part of a group of women abducted by Dracula's hordes. Once she is freed from her prison by Richter Belmont the story splits into two narrative threads depending on which you choose. You can either continue on as Richter or follow Maria as your new protagonist (both stories occurring parallel to each other). While Richter storms the castle one way, Maria traverses the structure another way. They meet up in the end and together take down Dracula.
Possessing a mysterious innate rapport with animals and earthen magics, Maria calls upon animals to help her in her fight against Dracula's hordes as well as summoning forth the Shijin ~ the four guardian spirits of Japanese mythology. In Symphony of the Night Maria has grown into a young woman and her powers have grown as well. With Richter's disappearance she sets out to find him and finds the newly resurrected Castle Dracula instead. Interestingly in the Sega Saturn version of Symphony Maria is a playable character with levels and stages unique to her playthrough. She also takes a more active role by actually battling Alucard at one point.
(Note: The Sega Saturn version was only available in Japan and remains one of the "Holy Grails" of Castlevania fandom. My hope is that one day we will receive a "Complete Uncut" version of the game with these levels and Maria's playability fully restored)
The Castlevania series seems to always push boundaries or break new ground for the series whenever a new female character is introduced. As a result the series has a remarkable amount of solid female characters, Maria being one of the best on my opinion.
#8
SYPHA BELNADES
Series Appearances: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (cameo)
Sypha was the first female protagonist of the Castlevania series (albeit a secondary protagonist to Trevor). Once you rescue her from the cyclops she becomes playable, if you so choose, you can play nearly the entire game as just her. I thought she was one of the better characters in Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, offering a completely new way of playing through Castlevania. Sypha has a physical attack, swinging her wand (which is VERY weak), and then she has an array of magic attacks which kick major monster ass. Seriously, we're talking boss killers here. Using magic like that had never been featured in a Castlevania game prior nor had there ever been a character like her.
Sypha would establish an archetype for female characters of the series going forward i.e. women are the magic users (note: this archetype would only be broken once by my favorite female Castlevania character). A doppelganger of her appears in Symphony of the Night providing a further showing of Sypha's abilities such as flight. Her descendants appear in later games such as Castlevania 64 and Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow & Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow.
And I have to say that I love her depiction in Netflix's Castlevania animated series. I always liked her but the Netflix show brought her to life in an incredibly awesome way.
#7
SOMA CRUZ
Series Appearances: Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
Soma Cruz is fresh and cool protagonist for the series. The hero of two Castlevania games, Soma's story takes place in the near future (2035 to be precise) and are the latest chapters in the saga according to the series in-game chronology. Soma is a Japanese student who finds himself mystically transported to Dracula's newly restored castle. There he meets Yoko Belnades (Sypha's descendant), Julius Belmont, and Genya Arikado (SPOILER ALERT! Genya is Alucard in disguise).
MAJOR SPOILER ALERT!
Soma learns he's Dracula reincarnated. Forces align to slay him and also ensure his ascension to becoming the dark lord. How cool is that? You get to play as Dracula (well, Dracula's vessel for resurrection technically). He uses a mix of weapons based play and then pure magic attacks. SOme is an amazing blend of the two major character archetypes in Castlevania.
Soma offers a completely unique take on Castlevania and the playing experience. I keep hoping that Soma will receive a third game in his storyline thereby giving him a proper trilogy. Doubtful being as everyone but Konami is interested in Castlevania nowadays. Let's still hope though 😉
#6
SHANOA
Series Appearance: Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
I knew I would like Shanoa the moment I saw her wicked awesome character design. Knowing nothing else about her I thought she was amazing. She also brings a new way to play Castlevania (or rather a cool reinvention of tried and true ideas). Shanoa uses a system of glyphs (tattoos) that are placed on her body allowing her to perform new abilities. Wing glyphs on her back enable her to fly and so forth. Combining glyphs results in devastating magic attacks. I don't own a Nintendo DS but luckily I was able to play as this incredible character in the Network game Castlevania: Harmony of Despair. And Shanoa has a cool story too.
After the events of Symphony of the Night, the Belmonts disappeared. With no clue as to their whereabouts or how to contact them, several organizations appeared to take on the mission of guarding the world against Dracula. The Order of Ecclesia, a group of three magic users, Barlowe, Albus, and Shanoa created three magic glyphs based on Dracula's dark arts. Shanoa is chosen by the elder Barlowe to receive the glyphs. When the glyphs are stolen by Albus, Shanoa must follow him. What she learns is that Albus had a reason for stealing the glyphs and the Order of Ecclesia isn't what Shanoa believed it to be.
If you know your Stephen King you can see what's coming
All in all I absolutely love Shanoa's design and she's a unique and totally awesome character.
#5
TREVOR BELMONT
Series Appearances: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (cameo), Castlevania: Curse of Darkness
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse was the first game in the series not to follow Simon Belmont and to actually go back 200 years in the past. The original Castlevania was completely linear. Castlevania II: Simon's Quest was so non-linear and cryptic that without a walkthrough you might never beat it! The approach to Castlevania III was to offer a Castlevania that was the best of both worlds. You were given the option of multiple paths to choose from leading you to different and unique areas of the game. And even better you were given the option of four different potential protagonists to choose from. Trevor was your main character that you always had in your party and then you could choose to have one other accompany you. Sypha, Grant, and Alucard were the other heroes. Once you acquired a new hero you no longer had to play as Trevor ever again in the game, if you wanted.
In all honesty I never thought much of Trevor Belmont. While Castlevania III is one of the best Castlevania games ever made, Trevor was merely a place holder for Simon. He had nothing new or unique to add to the whip wielder archetype (he even lacked capabilities that Simon possessed in Castlevania II). Sypha and Grant were the best characters to play as in that game. Trevor first became interesting to me with Castlevania Legends where his parentage was hinted at as well as the context for Castlevania III. Later he grew more interesting when he appeared in Castlevania: Curse of Darkness. In that game he received the Ayami Kojima redesign and we actually got to see what his personality was like thanks to cinematics and voice acting. And then he became a playable character after defeating the game with Hector.
Trevor became infinitely more endearing with the Netflix animated series Castlevania, voiced by the perfectly cast Richard Armitage. I have to admit that the Netflix Castlevania series has greatly improved my love for Trevor Belmont. I just hope when or if the animated series eventually gets to Simon and Richter's stories that they are done their due justice as well.
#4
SONIA BELMONT
Series Appearance: Castlevania Legends, and Castlevania Resurrection (the unreleased Castlevania game set for the Sega Dreamcast)
The retconned hero of Castlevania and the "first" Belmont to wage war against Dracula. Sonia Belmont was the first female main protagonist of a Castlevania game and she's one badass character in her own right. Castlevania Legends was the third and final Castlevania on the original Gameboy. I really enjoyed the game and fell in love with Sonia in the fun gameplay and the intriguing story of the game. The game played smoother than the previous classic Gameboy Castlevania's and Sonia handled very well. She also had a unique special weapons array called "Soul" powers which allowed her to freeze enemies, cast energy attacks, and even heal herself. She was far more nimble and dexterous than most Belmonts too. And then she had her most powerful ability: Burning Mode (which made her invincible for a brief time). Combine Burning Mode with a fully upgraded fire whip and Sonia is a one woman army!
The story took place 26 years before Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse. Wallachia is overrun by demons and monsters. Sonia, who was in a relationship with Alucard, sets out with the sacred Vampire Killer whip to stop Dracula. Alucard tries to stop her, to save her from a horrible death, but she defeats him. Sonia forges ahead and, drenching herself in Holy Water, battles and defeats Dracula. In the game's ending you see Sonia holding a child (Alucard's child?).
There have been several things I've always been curious about in Castlevania's story. I always wondered how ordinary people like the Belmonts were able to defeat such an awesome foe like Dracula and how they gained such seemingly supernatural powers. And I always wondered who's grave Trevor was kneeling by at the beginning of Castlevania III. The game doesn't implicitly tell you the answers but they allude to them.
Here's what I've always believed: Trevor is Alucard's son and Dracula's first act after regaining power in Castlevania III is killing Sonia. Trevor is kneeling at Sonia's grave at the beginning of Castlevania III. Also, Trevor being Alucard's son imbues the Belmont bloodline with more power. And when Trevor and Sypha have a child together her magics further strengthen the bloodline until we get such powerful heroes like Simon and Richter. And while Leon Belmont may be the first Belmont to battle the supernatural, he never fought Dracula. Sonia was the first Belmont to actually fight Dracula.
However, the man who made Symphony of the Night, Koji Igarashi, who went on to shepherd the series after Symphony, apparently didn't like Castlevania Legends and had it retconned from continuity. He claimed he removed it because it didn't work with the story he wanted to tell. But Igarashi never made a prequel that made Castlevania Legends incontinuitous. And as I just detailed above... IT COULD STILL FIT PERFECTLY WITH THE STORY!
Being the first lead female of the series I feel Sonia deserves her due respect. She is the only female character in the series (as of 2018) that is nearly all sheer physical force and athletic skill. All other women in the series are relegated to "magic users" save Sonia (which is a huge reason why she is SO COOL!). Of the Belmonts on the original Gameboy she is by far the better character and her game actually furthered and enriched the Castlevania lore.
Props to the first lady of vampire hunters and the one and only female Belmont hero in the entire series (can you believe that?)!
#3
ALUCARD
Series Appearances: Castlevania Legends, Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night,Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow,Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
It's always been assumed that Castlevania was inspired by the VAMPIRE HUNTER D novels and animated film (and after reading the first novel and watching the first anime there's little doubt of the direct influence). There is a medieval clad whip wielding character in that first Vampire Hunter D story but the protagonist was the son of Dracula, a half human half vampire named D.
With Castlevania III and the introduction of Alucard the Castlevania series finally had their own "D" analog. But if I'm being honest, Alucard was the worst of the four protagonists in Castlevania III. He received a full redesign for Symphony of the Night and became a video game icon after. Of all the Castlevania games Symphony of the Night exists in the minds of most as the definitive Castlevania, a legend among video gaming. And it is, no argument here. And the game was anchored by it's great and wonderful hero.
Alucard, as a character, is compelling and enthralling. His story, that of the son battling the father, is timeless and captivating. Then there's his amazing redesign by Ayami Kojima for Symphony, beautifully Gothic and Victorian. What made Alucard an even greater protagonist for Symphony was that he was already anchored in the franchise's past, already a part of the lore.
And he's so incredibly different from the Belmonts. He's not a whip wielding hero nor rough and grizzled. He's elegant, beautiful, graceful, and battles his way through the game using a completely different set of weapons and skills (some abilities inherited from his father!). And one of the coolest aspects (I feel) is that even though Konami saw how incredibly popular he was, they didn't over use him. He remained a rather novel character even though he was perhaps the most universally beloved character in the franchise.
Oh man, I haven't even touched on the amazing experience that is playing Castlevania: Symphony of the Night! The game is incredibly vast and you play as Alucard through an epic adventure unlike any other Castlevania before it. I'll jabber on about how amazing Symphony is in another post. But suffice it to say, there are many great reasons by Symphony and Alucard have the reputations they do.
#2
RICHTER BELMONT
Series Appearances: Castlevania: Dracula X a.k.a. Dracula X: Rondo of Blood, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (guest appearance)
Richter Belmont is a force to be reckoned with. Of all the Belmonts, Richter is the most powerful. In terms of sheer physical strength and super human abilities, he's the Belmont that Dracula should be scared of. Not only does he have all the signature weapons and moves of the previous Belmonts but he has a slide dash, backflip, should charge, super punch/jump, and the most powerful of all: the Item Crash. The man is a beast!
This is my preferred design for Richter, his original Dracula X look.
I was first introduced to Richter Belmont on the Super Nintendo with Castlevania: Dracula X. This particular game is notable for being the prequel to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and for being HARD! My god, Castlevania: Dracula X for the SNES is mean. This game was a bastardized port of Dracula X: Rondo of Blood (a game hailed as one of the greatest Castlevania's ever made). The SNES version took away almost all of Richter's moves save the standard attacks and the backflip. Thankfully it kept the screen clearing power of the Item Crash. It also truncated the game greatly and cut Maria out completely save for a mention in the story.
The first epic video game conquest I ever made was defeating Castlevania: Dracula X. Coming from the beautifully smooth and somewhat easy Super Castlevania IV and the incredibly fun Castlevania: Bloodlines for the Sega Genesis to SNES' Castlevania: Dracula X was like crashing into a brick wall. So for months every day after school I sat down and played Dracula X for 45 minutes. Richter and I's friendship was forged under fire and brimstone. Eventually Richter and I were an unstoppable team, beating the game time and time again, and just once and only once we beat it without dying. After that I set the controller down and took a well deserved victory breather.
Then I played Richter at the opening of Symphony of the Night, a fully realized Richter Belmont as he was intended, and discovered how truly awesome Richter really was. But even without his full arsenal I still love the guy. His redesign by Ayami Kojima for Symphony is pretty cool but I will always prefer his Dracula X anime inspired design.
#1
SIMON BELMONT
Castlevania artist Ayami Kojima's reimagining of Simon Belmont
Series Appearances: Castlevania, Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, Super Castlevania IV, Castlevania Chronicles
Simon Belmont is the hero with which I was first introduced to the series and it was the games starring Simon Belmont that made me love the Castlevania franchise. He is the original hero of the series but it wasn't the original game that endeared the character to me (the original Castlevania is not among my favorite games in the series). Castlevania II: Simon's Quest was the first Castlevania game I was introduced to and one of the games I continually revisit. And then there's Super Castlevania IV for the Super Nintendo (a remake of the original game), the game that made me a life long fan of the series. Super Castlevania IV is AMAZING.
Simon is the hero most featured throughout the series but all of those games (with the exception of Castlevania II: Simon's Quest) are all remakes of the same game and the same chapter in the saga. His design seems to change with each game going from a scantily clad medieval knight, to a fully clothed crusader, to a completely rugged red-headed fur-bearing barbarian. You're guess is as good as mine on what he really looks like. To me, Simon has the reputation of being one of the strongest members of the Belmont lineage, defeating Dracula all on his own without any outside help. He even defeated Dracula while a curse slowly killed him. Very few of the Belmonts or any other heroes in the series could handle Dracula all on their own, including Alucard.
In short, Simon Belmont has a mythic quality around him, both storywise as well as his place in video game history. Narratively speaking he's not the most compelling character but it was his games and playing as him that made me the Castlevania fanatic I am today.
This is so COOL!!!! My two favorite Castlevania heroes!
And there you have it! My top favorite Castlevania heroes.
Which are your favorites? Leave a list in the comments below!
And for more Castlevania posts and Top Ten Lists check out the posts below!
And tweet Konami to get off their butts and restart the series the way it should be, i.e. as a side-scrolling platformer! And keep it in original series continuity! And reinstate Castlevania Legends!
