Dracula (Castlevania)

"What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets!"

- Dracula's iconic quote (taken from the French writer André Malraux)

Count Vlad Tepes Dracula is the primary antagonist of the Castlevania video game franchise. He is a former Holy Knight who renounced God following the Death of his wife and became the Lord of Darkness. The game Aria of Sorrow reveals that he is the embodiment of Chaos, the source of Evil. He is based on Bram Stoker's character, which was in turn based on the infamous Vlad III Dracula of Wallachia. The idea of Dracula becoming a vampire following the death of his beloved was inspired by the 1992 film Bram Stoker's Dracula by Francis Ford Coppola.

Dracula appears as a completely different character in the Lords of Shadow reboot series. He is once again a Holy Knight whose Start of Darkness was caused by the death of his wife, but the story focuses on his transition from hero to villain protagonist.

Lament of Innocence
Dracula's origin is explained in the game Lament of Innocence, set in 1094. He was originally named Mathias Cronqvist, (a possible reference to Matthias Corvinus of Hungary) and was best friends with Leon Belmont. They formed an undefeatable company, Mathias being a tactical genius and Leon a warrior without peer.

However, Mathias eventually lost his wife Elisabetha and became bedridden with grief. One year later, he reveals to Leon that the Vampire Lord Walter Bernhard has kidnapped his own betrothed Sara Trantoul.

After Leon kills Walter, it is revealed that Mathias was behind the whole quest. Blaming God for the loss of his wife, Mathias gained the Crimson Stone: a powerful alchemical artifact that absorbs the spirit of slain vampires, and became a vampire himself.

Mathias manipulated Walter into kidnapping Sarah and Leon into killing him, so that he would take his soul with the Crimson Stone and take from him the Ebony Stone: an artifact that controls Darkness. Mathias expected that Leon, knowing the pain of losing his loved one, would side with him. However, Leon swore that the Belmont family would hunt him and the Night. Disappointed, Mathias turned into a bat and flew away, ordering Death to deal with him.

Aftermath
During the following centuries, Mathias renamed himself Count Dracula and built his own Dark Castle, the gloomy Castlevania, in Transylvania.

Not much is known about what Dracula did back then. He had yet to become entirely evil though, since he had a relationship with a human woman called Lisa Fahrenheit (a possible reincarnation of Elisabetha). This union would bear a son, Adrian Fahrenheit Tepes would be later known as Alucard. Lisa was later executed as her expertise in medicine was called out as "witchcraft", under her son's helpless watch. Enraged beyond belief, Dracula declared war against mankind, becoming irredeemably evil. He later became King of the Night, ruler of all Evil.

Despite emulating his father early in his life, Alucard chose to follow his mother's steps instead of his father's. He chose the anagram "Alucard" ("Dracula" spelled backwards) for his new name as a symbol of his desire to oppose his father's designs.

Personality
"Freedom is always sacrificed to faith good hunter. Or are you truly here by choice?"

- Dracula to Richter Belmont

Dracula is a being of pure evil, cruel, ruthless and scornful, with a calm, collected and aristocratic demeanour, and imposing presence. He is courteous and refined, yet displays a great deal of contempt and sarcasm. He greets the heroes politely, spitefully or both following his mood. He is also highly intelligent and cunning, preparing schemes to confuse the heroes or plague them if they win.

Lisa's death caused Dracula to loathe mankind, which he regards as petty, greedy and worthless. He states that everyone, including the heroes who confront him, has Darkness in their hearts and should listen to their selfish desires. He also states that there is no freedom and that people are willing slaves to their religions; which he compares to his own harvest of human souls. Finally, he describes humans as the reason he keeps coming back, since there is always someone to resurrect him.

Dracula often taunts his foes, telling them that they struggle in vain and that despite their best efforts, he will always return. He is extremely confident in his abilities and considers himself superior to any opponent. However, his softer side resurfaces when confronting his son or remembering his wives. Even in battle, he does not bear ill will towards Alucard, and he has once expressed regret over his evil ways after being reminded of Lisa's wish.

Powers and Influence
"You should bear that in mind. God is unable to help the souls of those terminated by my hand!"

- Dracula

Dracula has complete control over the forces of Evil. He draws Power from the Chaotic Realm: the demonic dimension in which human malice gathers. Every monster and malevolent human being will pledge loyalty to him; and most of them regard him as a “saviour” able to cleanse the world anew. It was said that his mere presence is enough to drive normal people mad and to corrupt his surroundings. He is also able to increase Evil within someone's heart and to surround himself with evil energy or pure Darkness.

Dracula is frighteningly powerful. It has been speculated that the longer he is around, the younger and mightier he gets.When he unleashes his full might, he becomes a huge demon and his power skyrockets. His wields the powers of Dominance, (to absorb the souls and powers of any being) Mimicry (to copy someone else's power) and Hellfire (to attack with fire conjured from Hell itself). He has proven able to cause an everlasting night over his domain; to drag his foes into demonic dimensions; to possess people and objects; and to cast a wide array of spells and curses. (His most fearsome curses wither the land or corrupt the population.) Finally, he has complete control over the Demon Castle he created.

Dracula also masters the common vampiric powers to an unmatched extent. He can not only transform into a wolf, a bat or a cloud of mist but also into a swarm of bats, a cloud of poison and transform his cloak into bat-life wings (or worse). He has incredible strength and he can compel hordes of animals into obedience, control the weather (mostly to summon Darkness), and drain blood through mere contact. Not only Dracula lives forever, but he can only be harmed when struck in the head or the chest with specific weapons. Even worse, he always resurrects 100 years after being killed, when enough human malice gathers. Not counting those who resurrect him through Dark Rituals.

1450: Castlevania Legends (non-canon)
Legends has been stated non-canon sometime after its release. Dracula's armies have been spreading destruction over Transylvania for years, eventually attacking the Belmont Mansion. The sole survivor, Sonia Belmont (who happens to be an acquaintance of Alucard) sets out to destroy the Count.

Dracula teleports and hurls lightning balls. He later transforms into an immense and dangerous demon made of the souls of his victims. He does not move but his head separate itself and attacks in all directions. Beware of the two pits in the room.

1476: Dracula's Curse
Dracula has been waging war against mankind, wiping out the holy soldiers sent by the Church and taking over many countries, and the Transylvanian population is decreasing at an alarming rate. However, Trevor Belmont is leading an offence against him, defeating the legions he sends against him and storming the Castle. During his quest, Trevor sets free the sorceress Sypha Belnades, whom Dracula turned into stone, as well as the pirate Grant DaNasty and Alucard, whom Dracula cursed into obedience. The four of them confront Dracula and manage to destroy him.

Dracula is very hard to defeat. He traps the heroes between two pillars of energy before conjuring a third one where they stand, then teleports next to them. He later becomes a floating, multi-faced monster who spills drops of acidic blood. His final (and hardest) form is an immense demon looking like an Oriental idol. He fires beams that deal crippling damage, while two platforms break from the ground and circle around him. The protagonist must jump on the platforms to strike his head, while minding the pits left open.

1479: Curse of Darkness
Before dying, Dracula cast a curse upon the entire Transylvania, withering the land and corrupting its inhabitants. He wanted the curse to eliminate his enemies and lay waste on the world, enabling him to take it over when he would return. Hector, a Devil Forgemaster who deserted Dracula's ranks, claims back the powers he discarded to track down his fellow Devil Forgemaster Isaac. After defeating Isaac, Hector learns that they were both manipulated by Death, who needed a Devil Forgemaster to resurrect Dracula. Hector defeats Death and rushes to the Castle Keep, where Dracula has returned through Isaac’s corpse. After defeating the King of the Night, Hector manages to dispel his curse.

Dracula is hard to defeat. He teleports and turns into a swarm of bats, he casts many spells, and can warp towards Hector to bite him and heal himself. When Dracula transforms, he becomes far more dangerous. He causes a huge black hole that relegates Hector on a very small area, hindering his movements. Dracula hammers Hector with blows that leave a poisonous tray behind, and flies away for a devastating attack. Dracula can only be harmed at close range, but Hector will need a powerful Familiar by his side.

1576: Castlevania the Adventure
Dracula reappears and resumes his reign of terror but Christopher Belmont, Trevor's descendant, rises against him. The non-canon comics Castlevania: the Belmont Legacy expands his story. Dracula is helped here by the Bartley Clan (likely related to Elizabeth Bartley) and abducts Christopher's beloved Illyana, before turning some of Christopher's allies into vampires. After his defeat, Dracula's spirit enter Illyana's womb to possess her first-born child.

Dracula poses little to no threat in this game, if not for Christopher's very slow movements. He teleports and hurls four fireballs around him. The major danger comes from the two spike chasms in the room. Dracula's second form is that of a giant bat who spawns three smaller ones.

Castlevania: the Adventure ReBirth
Dracula is much harder to defeat in this remake. He first teleports and casts three fireballs and later turns into a bat-like variation of his common Demon form, which can put up a challenge. He tries to trap Christopher into a corner, fires green rays when he jumps and breathes fire. In easy mode the battle ends here.

Dracula's last form is a demonic head who conjures lightning bolts and fiery blasts through pentagrams, forcing Christopher to find a safe spot. Christopher must strike his lower jaw until it breaks. Then things get really serious. Dracula will overwhelm Christopher with attacks in all directions, including homing lightning spheres that must be destroyed, a circle of lightning bolts, and fireballs from above. Christopher must use the rising platforms to strike Dracula's eyes, but he his increasingly resilient to damage and his attacks make him hard to reach.

1591: Belmont's Revenge
Foreseeing his defeat, Dracula turned into mist and feigned death. He was too weakened to assume a physical form, but still alive. He waited for the coming of age of Christopher's son Soleiyu (Soleil) Belmont to capture and corrupt him. He then raises four Elemental Castles as obstacles and prepares to make Soleiyu his vessel. Christopher is forced to storm the castles and fight his son.
 * Soleiyu is fast, powerful, unpredictable and very dangerous. He attacks with his whip and daggers and Christopher must avoid direct contact.

After freeing his son, Christopher must defeat Dracula who has regained his physical form and poses a considerable threat. He teleports everywhere and fires a cluster of rotating energy balls that are hard to dodge. Christopher must always be out of Dracula's reach and away from the spike chasms. It is highly advised to learn Dracula's moving pattern before trying to defeat him and to attack at long range.

16??: Order of Shadows (non-canon)
In this mobile phone game, which takes place in the late 17th century, Dracula gets resurrected by Rohan Krause, leader of the eponymous Order of Shadows.

Dracula is easy to defeat, since his entire body is vulnerable. He teleports and hurls five spheres of dark energy at variable heights, forcing Desmond Belmont to duck under or jump over. Dracula can also conjure lightning bolts.

1691: Castlevania (and its remakes)
The first Castlevania game, which was remade several times due to the popularity of its hero Simon Belmont. It sets the classical scenario, with the hero storming the Castlevania to end Dracula's reign of terror. In Haunted Castle, Dracula attacks first, by abducting Simon's betrothed the day of their wedding.

Castlevania
This game also sets the Count's fighting style: He teleports, (appearing twice ahead of Simon's position and then where Simon is standing) hurls his signature "Hellfire" fireballs and must be struck in the head. Dracula later assumes what would become his most common Demon form, who is slow but proves pretty dangerous. He jumps and breathes fireballs downwards, and Simon must avoid getting trapped into the corners. The holy water is useful to slow him down.

Vampire Killer
Dracula fights in the same way but Simon cannot jump over his fireballs, making them harder to escape. When defeated, Dracula possesses the huge painting in his likeness on the wall, and the battle becomes very difficult. Simon must dodge the Count's waves of bats then climb the platforms on the sides of the room to jump and strike the jewel on the Count's forehead.

Haunted Castle
Fitting the entire game, the battle against Dracula is frustratingly hard. He hovers in the airs and throws daggers, before turning into a swarm of bats to fly away. This is annoying, yet nothing compared to the Count's second form: a giant head who breathes an endless onslaught of bats. The only way to win is to have enough energy left and strike like a maniac, so that the Count dies first. Needless to say this is easier said than done.

Super Castlevania IV
Dracula is very tough. He teleports and attacks with energy balls which splits into four upon being attacked, flying energy balls which provides Simon a healing chicken when struck, and flaming faces that track down Simon. When Dracula's face becomes that of a skeleton, the battle gets highly dangerous. He conjures four bolts of purple lighting, which deal crippling damage and make him harder to reach.

Castlevania Chronicles
This game itself is adapted from the home computer game Dracula X68000. (In this game, Dracula looks like a tall vampire, while in Chronicles he sports robes.) He teleports and casts "Hellfire" following Simon's position. When defeated, he transforms into a demon similar to the one in Castlevania, who jumps, breathes fire and tries to corner Simon or to strike him with his claws.

1698: Simon's Quest
Once again, Dracula cast a curse upon the land when defeated, cursing Simon as well this time. The curse eats away the life-force of both Simon and Transylvania and threatens the Belmont’s bloodline. Dracula had his followers guard his remains in haunted mansions to prevent the curse from being lifted. Simon must collect the remains and burn them to summon Dracula's spirit, and battle the Vampire Wraith to the death.

Without golden daggers (which kill him in one blow) or holy water (which hold him in place) the battle proves very dangerous. Dracula hovers in the air leaving little space for Simon to move, and fires scythe-like projectiles, which deal crippling damage and are pretty hard to avoid. Simon must distinguish the real Dracula from his afterimages.

1748: Harmony of Dissonance
A warrior named Maxim Kischine gathers the remnants of Dracula's body to destroy them, hoping to prove his worth and to relieve his friend Juste Belmont of his fate as a Vampire Killer. However, he gets corrupted by Dracula's spirit and partially resurrects the Castlevania, making a reflection of the Castle appear in a spiritual realm.

Dracula's spirit attempts to take full control of his host, by drinking the blood of Maxim's and Juste's childhood friend Lydie Erlanger whom he abducted. Fortunately, Maxim is able to escape his control and he hides Lydie away before warning Juste. Juste fights his way throughout both Castles to gather Dracula's remains, eventually battling Maxim possessed by Dracula. To save both of his friends, Juste must find a way to force Dracula's spirit out of Maxim's body.
 * Maxim is a serious threat. He is fast and swift, and attacks with his sword and shuriken. He can also duplicate himself to overwhelm Juste.

Dracula Wraith is not that dangerous. He teleports, using either "Hellfire" or seven meteor-like fireballs at different heights. His second form is a conglomerate of his remains which attacks with his clawed tentacle and a huge beam from his eye. If Juste manages to get behind Dracula, the Count will not be able to reach him.

1792: Rondo of Blood (and its remakes)
Dracula, once again given flesh by Shaft, spends some time to learn about Richter Belmont and launches an attack on his hometown, but the young man was training away. Dracula then abducts four villagers, including Richter's girlfriend Annette, whom he plans to turn into a vampire, and her sister Maria. Richter eventually saves Maria, who helps him with her great magic powers. They defeat Dracula, who deems their effort futile and knows that he is bound to return.

Defeating Dracula is quite easy. The Count teleports and casts "Hellfire" or his second signature spell "Dark Inferno": two pulsating spheres of dark energy. (Duck then jump.) Dracula then turns into the most famous depiction of his recurring Demon form. He jumps, breathes three successive fireballs and hurls a devastating ring of energy that must be ducked under.

Dracula X
In this remake, if Richter fails to save the three captive girls, Annette falls victim to Dracula's curse and is fought as a boss. Despite having different Vampire and Demon forms, the Count fights in the same way. However, the battle is way harder since it takes place on many pillars of different height, greatly hindering Richter's movements and punishing mistakes with instant death. It is better to be at one corner of the Throne Room when he transforms.

The Dracula X Chronicles
Like in Dracula X, if Richter and Maria fail to save the captives, Dracula's curse turns Annette into a winged vampire and she is fought as a boss. If that happens, Shaft will barge in after Dracula's second form is defeated and take the Count to safety, leading to the bad ending.

Dracula fights like in the two other games, but after defeating his Demon form, he grows six wings and the battle gets way harder. Dracula flies, teleports and uses dangerous attacks which he can combine. (Including deadly space-ripping slashes, a wolf transformation and "Blood Hydro Storm": a rain of acidic blood that can only be dodged by standing below him.)

1797: Symphony of the Night
Shaft, who survived his battles against Richter and Maria, brainwashes Richter and uses him as a puppet-king of the Castlevania. He then creates a Reverse Castle, where he attempts to bring back Dracula once again. Since no Belmont can handle the threat, Alucard awakes from his three hundred-year slumber and steps into action. With Maria's help, Alucard manages to free Richter and storms the Reverse Castle, killing Shaft and confronting his father. Dracula tries to talk his son back into his side, but Alucard refuses. When defeated Dracula asks what where Lisa's last words and, upon hearing that she wished him not to harm mankind, expresses genuine regret for his actions.

Dracula turns his cloak into a conglomerate of monsters to fight for him, and attacks in a defined order. He strikes Alucard with his hands, launches a giant energy ball, and has his three heads bite and launch magical blasts. He will also summon fallen bosses to heal with their blood. He deals huge damage but he is not that hard to defeat.

18??: Order of Ecclesia
In the early 18th century, the Belmonts mysteriously vanished. So orders of mages prepared to face Dracula when the time would come. Barlowe, founder of the powerful Order of Ecclesia, was entrusted with Dracula's remains, sealed to prevent his resurrection. However, Barlowe (who might have been corrupted by Dracula's leaking energy) desired to bring the Count back. He harnessed his Dark Power into the "Dominus" Glyph, hiding its origins and presenting it as a way to destroy the count for good.

Barlowe's disciple Shanoa eventually sees through her mentor's deceit and fights him. Dracula then uses Barlowe as a vessel to break the seal. Shanoa challenges the Count but cannot destroy him without "Dominus", surviving its use thanks to the sacrifice of her brother figure Albus.

Dracula teleports and casts "Hellfire" (a barrage of fireballs), "Dark Inferno" and "Fatal Ray" (falling rays from above). When he gets damaged enough, the battle turns for the worst. He starts chasing Shanoa to kick her or use "Soul Steal" (he grabs her and drains her life-points) and casts dangerous spells like "Destruction Ray" (falling rays in succession that must be evaded). When the battle is over, Shanoa must use "Dominus" before Dracula obliterates her with his most powerful spell "Demonic Megiddo": a tremendous explosion of dark energy.

1830: Circle of the Moon
Dracula rose again in 1820 but was sealed back by Master Morris Baldwin and the Graves family, at the cost of the Graves' life. Ten year later, Carmilla resurrects Dracula in her Dark Castle. Morris Baldwin, his son Hugh and Nathan Graves barge in to challenge them. Dracula, who recognizes Morris, captures him to sacrifice him under the full moon and regain his full power; before casting Nathan and Hugh into the depths of the Castle. Hugh reaches Dracula first but the Count uses his jealousy to corrupt him, sending him to battle Nathan. Nathan saves Hugh and defeats Dracula, who retreats to the chaotic planes where he can use his full power. As Hugh is taking his father to safety, Nathan chases after Dracula and manages to destroy him.
 * Hugh is very dangerous. He uses sword attacks and the dagger, axe, cross and holy water sub-weapons. When wounded enough, he becomes even faster and mightier.

Dracula's first form is very easy to defeat and his whole body is vulnerable. He attacks with fire bats, ice bats, and a troublesome flurry of yellow bats quite hard to escape. Dracula's Demon form however is awfully difficult. His attacks are devastating (especially the rain of meteors) and his only weak point is the eye on his belly that opens after he teleports. After a while, Dracula starts using energy-infused dashes which deals crippling damage, before turning into a flying eye surrounded with bats and becoming vulnerable.

1844: Legacy of Darkness (Cornell's quest)
Dracula is brought back by Death, Actrise and Gilles de Rais. (Whether this is Dracula or an avatar of some sort is unclear. He seems to be a decoy set to get the protagonist's power, but the game refers to him as "Dracula".) He unlocks Ortega's beast-man power in exchange of Ada, the adopted sister of his former friend Cornell, as a sacrifice complete his return. Cornell sets out to rescue his sister and eventually defeats Dracula (?), who attempts to grab the crystal holding Ada captive, forcing Cornell to sacrifice his wolf power to save her. This leads Dracula (?) to seize it instead. Death, Actrise and Gilles de Rais later sacrifice the wolf power to ensure Dracula's real return.

Dracula (?) is not that dangerous and striking him stops his attacks. He teleports a lot, he can capture lightning to attack and vacuums Cornell to drink his blood, which heals him and causes the Vampire status. Striking his fireballs can provide supplies. When he turns into a faceless demon the battle becomes much harder. His only weak point is the head inside his chest, which appears when he attacks, and Cornell has very little space to move. He uses highly powerful attacks in a defined order, alternating between close-range moves and waves of projectiles from afar that must be destroyed. If he punches or grabs Cornell, he sends him flying and bombards him with energy blasts. Cornell must strike him before he launches his last attack: a devastating explosive beam that can kill him outright.

1852: Castlevania 64
Dracula was resurrected within the soul of a child named Malus, prompting his followers to raze villages and abduct children looking for him. Dracula overwhelms his host when he turn 8 and has Gilles de Rais playing his role, while he pretends to be an innocent boy. If the heroes take too long to confront Gilles de Rais, he would have turned the arrogant vampire hunter Charlie Vincent into a vampire. Then, upon killing what they believe to be Dracula, the heroes would take Malus to safety, not knowing that they fell right into the Count's trap.

If the heroes reach Gilles first, Dracula breaks his charade and attacks them. When defeated, he turns back into Malus and pretends to have been possessed. This would have worked without Vincent, who saw through his deceit and douses him with holy water to reveal who he truly is. Enraged, Dracula reveals his true form but the heroes defeat him.

When Dracula teleports, several lights appear to confuse the heroes about where he appears. His fireballs might provide supplies when struck but they mess with long-range attacks. While his Vampire form is bothersome, his Demon form is much harder. He conjures spheres which cause a tremendous atomic explosion when struck, making long range attacks very dangerous, and he attacks with fireballs and waves of dirt. The heroes must strike him at close range and flee before he retaliates. After a while, he summons two fire dragons to assist him.

1917: Castlevania Bloodlines
The events of Bram Stoker's novel were adapted to fit the Castlevania universe, making Quincy Morris, the man who killed Dracula in 1897, a relative of the Belmonts. The witch Drolta Tzuentes later resurrects Elizabeth Bartley, who in turn brings back Dracula. The Count settles in Proserpina Castle in England and spreads his influence throughout Europe, but Quincy's son John Morris and Eric Lecarde manage to defeat him.

Dracula is not a big threat. He casts several types of fireballs but is easy to track. He first transform into a flying, wizard-like vampire, whose most dangerous attacks conjures afterimages of himself and several pillars of energy. (Many fans believe that the Count's first form is in fact Drolta Tzuentes, due to it looking like her artwork.) Dracula's second form changes his colour and his attack when wounded: pink (exploding projectiles), red (fire breath) and grey (waves of bones).

1944: Portrait of Ruin
The Vampire Lord Brauner uses the souls of the victims of World War II to resurrect Castlevania, and takes it over with his bewitched paintings. Brauner prevents Dracula's return and plans to overthrow him but he is defeated by Jonathan Morris and Charlotte and Dracula returns.

Dracula fights alongside Death in a difficult battle. Dracula teleports and casts "Hellfire" and "Dark Inferno" in waves, while Death attacks from above, and they can combine their powers for devastating attacks, including "Demonic Megiddo". Striking one foe harms both. Then Dracula takes Death's soul and transforms into a very dangerous demon. When he tries to trap the heroes between his wings, they must strike each one repeatedly to repel them. He also attacks with Death's scythe and a rain of fireballs.

1999: The Demon Castle Wars
As predicted by Nostradamus, the last year of the millennium saw the last battle between Dracula and the Belmonts. Julius Belmont led a coalition of the world's armies helped by the Church and Alucard. They defeated the Count's forces and destroyed Dracula for good, while a Japanese priest sealed the Castlevania in a solar eclipse. Dracula was gone forever and several men born this day inherited some of his powers, but he would eventually reincarnate...

2035: Aria of Sorrow
Dracula was reincarnated as a young man named Soma Cruz, who wields his power of Dominance. While Soma is his own character, he must struggle to avoid his dark legacy. During a solar eclipse, he and his friend Mina Hakuba are dragged within the Castlevania, which seeks a new lord and sensed Soma's connection with Dracula. After learning the truth, Soma defeats Graham Jones and unwillingly absorbs most of the Castlevania's powers. To avoid becoming the new King of the Night, he ventures into the Chaotic Realm and confronts Chaos: the core of all Evil which was previously personified as Dracula, and seeks a new physical existence.

Chaos first appears closed like a shell of some sort, sporting three statues who steal Soma's power. Soma must destroy the statues to get his power back. When Chaos reveals itself, Soma must first strike the four eyes in the corners to destroy the Core's defences, but it is protected by a skeletal Dragon and attacks of its own, mostly with a circular wave of needles.

2036: Dawn of Sorrow
One year after defeating Chaos, Soma is involved in Celia Fortner's plan to awake the new King of the Night. In the bad ending, Soma suffers the same fate as Mathias Cronqvist when Celia pretends to kill Mina, and takes Dracula's throne. (Swiftly killing Celia whom he dislikes.) This triggers the "Julius Mode", in which Julius Belmont and Soma's friends fight against Soma, now the King of the Night.

Dark Lord Soma fights almost the same way as Dracula and is very hard to defeat. He is assisted by the Familiar Gaibon who cannot be harmed. Soma teleports and uses "Giga Twister" the final form of the Great Axe Armour’s Bullet-type soul: a giant axe rotating around him. When defeated, he turns into a bluish demon (reminiscent of the Rondo and Symphony games), who combines his attacks (Agunis’s Bullet soul: a flaming wave, and Abbadon’s Bullet soul: a swarm of locusts) with that of the invincible Harpy familiar he summoned.

Harmony of Despair
Dracula is fought in the medley game Harmony of Despair. The Grimoire in which the games' story is recorded is struck by a curse and several heroes from different eras must battle throughout its chapters, featuring monsters, bosses and locations from every game.

Dracula first appears under the Vampire and Demon forms from Rondo of Blood, then as the Demonic Cloak form from Symphony of the Night, but he is much harder to defeat than in these games. Vampire Dracula casts "Hellfire" and "Dark Inferno". Demon Dracula hurls poisoning rays when he jumps and fires a devastating beam. Final Dracula is immune to certain types of attack when he glows blue and casts a spell that turns the female heroes against their allies. He also unleashes an onslaught of attacks, including pillars of fire and a dangerous array of beams. When he casts "Demonic Megiddo" the heroes must rush to the corners to avoid the blast.

Dracula is also fought in the chapter "Origins", consisting of the first Castlevania game, where he goes by the name of R. The Count. Dracula looks exactly the same but is much tougher. He fires more fireballs, (three waves in different directions in Hard Mode). When he transforms, he fires three streams of fireballs and dashes forwards. Should the heroes leave the throne room, a star-shaped array of fireballs appears and deals huge damage.

Castlevania the Arcade (non-canon)
Dracula is the final boss of this arcade game and needless to say, he is considerably tough. He hovers in the air and tries to strike the heroes from behind while calling forth Demonic Knights. He then transforms into a winged vampire and becomes much faster and stronger. He starts turning into a wolf or a swarm of bats to attack, and casts "Hellfire" (a barrage of fireballs) and "Demonic Megiddo" (an explosive sphere of destruction).

Castlevania Judgment
Dracula is a playable character in the fighting game Castlevania Judgdment. Contrary to the other characters, he was not adapted for close-range melee. He is extremely slow but he can teleport and uses powerful spells:
 * Dark Void: Teleport.
 * Dark Psychic Blast: Telekinetic wave that blasts his foe away.
 * Demonic Cleansing: Column of dark energy under his foe.
 * Hellfire: Three fireballs.
 * Dark Inferno: Homing sphere of dark energy.
 * Dark Blaze: Powerful flaming pillar around him.
 * (Hyper Attack) Demonic Megiddo: A giant sphere of destruction causing a tremendous dark blast.