Well, I reckon this here list you got here is quite the sight to behold! Now, being a simple farmhand from the backwoods of Tennessee, I ain’t no expert on these video game characters and their deeds. But I can surely tell you what I think about them Belmonts, having seen my fair share of tough men in my life.
The iconic video game franchise, Castlevania, has an undeniable legacy, and this year’s Vampire Survivors Ode to Castlevania DLC is a testament to that. The games are impressive in their own right, like the ones compiled in the Castlevania Dominus Collection, which I gave a perfect score upon release. Spending so much time with these games and reflecting on the thrill of battling Dracula alongside the Belmont clan and their associates, it’s only natural to wonder about my favorite characters. With the Castlevania timeline offering a rich tapestry of official lore and a wealth of secondary content scattered throughout its history, there’s ample opportunity for detailed analysis. For this piece, I decided to focus on the main Castlevania heroes, the Belmont family. This way, characters like Alucard can hog the limelight elsewhere. It’s now time for the whip-wielding (or spatula in one case), supernaturally endowed vampire slayers from the Belmont clan to bask in the spotlight. To be honest, there aren’t many other Castlevania characters who can withstand sunlight, but you get the idea.
10. Soleil Belmont (Castlevania 2: Belmont’s Revenge)
Toward the end of this rundown, I’ll fondly nickname Richter Belmont as “the top and flop Belmont.” It’s a playful reference that incorporates lore without undermining his achievements, but I’ll elaborate on it later. As for Soleil, he’s the black sheep of the Belmont family. He earns points for his unique predicament being an intriguing twist, but the twist itself is quite unfortunate – being controlled by Dracula and spoiling his father’s legacy by wreaking havoc and chaos. And following this incident, Soleil seems to have vanished from history without a trace. Oops!
9. Christopher Belmont (The Castlevania Adventure)
It’s logical to assume that if Soleil lands on the list last, his father, Christopher, moves up a step in the hierarchy. Christopher, one of the rare Belmonts who defeated Dracula twice, has had his second victory tarnished due to what transpired with Soleil. Although he’s accomplished much, instead of standing alongside greats like Trevor and Simon, Christopher is the melancholic figure, reminiscent of a divorced dad, quietly seated in a corner at the family gathering. His initial game wasn’t particularly impressive, but the DX ROM hack version has its merits.
8. Reinhardt Schneider (Castlevania 64)
Many people hold varied opinions concerning the Castlevania games on the Nintendo 64, but Reinhardt merits significant recognition. Belonging to the Belmont clan, a lineage of vampire hunters renowned for their badassery, might seem like a blessing, but Reinhardt was not bestowed the family name. Imagine being part of an actual dynasty of heroes, only to be taunted by commoners due to a simple piece of paper – a birth certificate. This character grapples with self-esteem issues as a result, yet by the climax of his tale, he not only defeats Dracula but also liberates a captivating vampire woman from her curse.
7. Juese Belmont (wacky music made by deranged nerds)
It’s serendipitous OC ReMix was inducted into the 2024 Shacknews Hall of Fame, because I was thinking of OC ReMix when I put this list together. This absurd song asks a simple question. If Dracula only appears every 100 years, what do the Belmonts do in the meantime? Well, here’s the answer, courtesy of Shael Riley and uh, “Disk Mastah Smokabitch.” Juese Belmont may not kill vampires, but he knows what needs to be done to keep the prophecy rolling. Just listen to the song, trust me. Here’s a slightly less crass remix as well.
6. Simon Belmont (Castlevania: The Battle of Old Castle)
This character is not the renowned Simon Belmont from the initial game and double Dracula-fighting titlist. Instead, you’re looking at Simon Belmont, an actor from the 1950s who inadvertently broke the seal too soon, leading to Dracula being unleashed on the set of a film about his esteemed ancestor. Amazingly, this is actually part of a Castlevania storyline! This unique tale is presented as a Choose Your Own Adventure-inspired book, using dice for interactive gameplay mechanics instead of just choosing paths and flipping pages. While not an active vampire hunter himself, Simon manages to hold his ground and even shoots a hole in a werewolf with a gun. Although this isn’t considered canon anymore, it’s incredibly cool, so it’s worth mentioning.
5. Juste Belmont (Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance)
Among the Game Boy Advance series, Harmony of Dissonance is my preferred title. While it’s not always highly regarded due to its somewhat rough design, I find appeal in its unique, slightly distorted chiptune soundtrack, the quirky anime-inspired outlines around Juste’s character sprite, the twin castle mechanic, and his striking red coat. Despite being a bit of a bookworm, Juste lacks a confrontation with Dracula at the end of this installment. Nevertheless, he stands out due to being one of the few Belmonts who possess magical abilities stemming from the Belnades branch of the family tree. To put it simply, I find him intriguing.
4. Richter Belmont (Castlevania: Rondo of Blood)
Behold, here stands the greatest and most problematic Belmont – Richter. This fellow doesn’t exactly have a walk in the park, folks. He’s one of the most potent Belmonts ever, with the ability to empower items magically, perform nifty flips, and let’s not forget his undeniable good looks. Yet, his charms reminiscent of an anime himbo can’t shield him from his internal struggles, leading him to get taken over by Shaft and creating quite a mess that even Alucard had to rectify. Following the events in Symphony of the Night, Richter leaves his post with a sense of embarrassment, entrusting the Vampire Killer to some relatives and fading away, taking the Belmont legacy with him. It’s astonishing how people would rather let Dracula wreak havoc on humanity for 200 years than seek therapy themselves.
3. Simon Belmont (Castlevania)
Now this is what peak Belmont performance looks like. No magic, no clothes, just rippling muscles and a leather skirt. Simon Belmont is a giant slab of meat masquerading as a human being, and more or less beats Dracula to death with his bare hands. Then Dracula comes back for round two, mortally wounding and cursing Simon at the same time. Simon compensates for his newfound, relative weakness by wearing some armor this time, then goes on a whole second quest to put Dracula back together and fight him again, still beating him handily despite actively dying of demon cancer. An icon.
2. Trevor Belmont (Castlevania 3: Dracula’s Curse)
In a nutshell, Trevor surpasses Simon in several aspects. Firstly, Trevor was the one who successfully slayed Dracula initially, unlike Simon who had to face him again later. Secondly, Trevor achieved movie star status as the lead character of the anime series, which significantly boosted the popularity of Castlevania and aided Konami’s return to video games. Lastly, Trevor’s victory over Dracula was more definitive, leaving him defeated for a hundred years, whereas Simon had to contend with a troublesome rematch.
1. Julius Belmont (Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow)
Trevor Belmont won the first fight with Dracula, but Julius won the last fight. This man had the weight of the world on his shoulders, finally bringing the Belmont name back to the forefront when Dracula declared war on humanity in the infamous Battle of 1999. Also known as the Demon Castle War, Julius Belmont helped facilitate a desperate ritual that ended up sealing Dracula and his whole castle inside a lunar eclipse, destroying his physical form for good. This all happened off-screen too, which is absurd. Despite overexerting himself so completely it caused amnesia, Julius came back decades later to help prevent multiple attempts to bring Dracula back with a new body. I challenge Konami to upstage Julius Belmont somehow. Or give us a Battle of 1999 game. Either one would be rad, thanks.
With that said, the final official Best Belmont Ranking has been compiled. Keep in mind that my choices are as close to perfection as can be, but if you feel differently and want to advocate for a different Belmont to advance or join the top ten, I’m open to hearing your thoughts. Just remember, this is all in good fun! Oh, and Richter… he’s still not over it. (Wink!)
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2024-12-22 19:27