History Characters / Castlevania

* CallingYourAttacks: "Guardian Fist!" "(Holy Beast name), appear!"

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Her surname is rendered "Renard" in English, but fans noticed that the Japanese equivalent (ラーネッド, ''Raaneddo'') is closer to "Rarned" or rather a transliteration of the surname "Learned" as seen in other contexts.[[note]]Like the Learned Memorial Library of Doshisha University in Kyoto, named after one Rev. Dr. Dwight W. Learned, a missionary-teacher.[[/note]] Her ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaHarmonyOfDespair Harmony of Despair]]'' [[DownloadableContent Character Pack]] uses another rendition: "Maria Rendard".

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Her surname has always been "Renard" in English, but fans noticed that the Japanese equivalent (ラーネッド, ''Raaneddo'') is closer to "Rarned" or rather a transliteration of the surname "Learned" as seen in other contexts.[[note]]Like the Learned Memorial Library of Doshisha University in Kyoto, named after one Rev. Dr. Dwight W. Learned, a missionary-teacher.[[/note]]

* BusCrash: [[spoiler:He died between ''Bloodlines'' and ''Portrait of Ruin'', though he appears in the latter as Wind.]]

* {{Dhampyr}}: [[HumanMomNonHumanDad Lisa is human, Drac is a vampire]]... you get the idea.

* TheNarrator: Seves as one for ''Legacy of Darkness'' although primarily in the Japanese version.

Eric is a nobleman whose [[DisposableWoman girlfriend]] was vampirized by Elizabeth Bartley. He goes along with John to defeat Dracula, using the Alcarde/Alucard Spear.\\\

* DudeLooksLikeALady: Especially so in the original Japanese version where, in addition to having a long, golden and flowing hair and a MagicSkirt, Eric sports much more feminine facial features and a pointy jaw, easily rivaling Alucard as the most effeminate-looking male character in the series. This is mostly averted in the western release where Eric has more masculine facial features and a square-shaped jaw.
* DashingHispanic: He is native from Spain and just like Inigo Montoya, he is also driven to avenge a loved one (in this case, his girlfriend).

* ContraltoOfDanger: In the original English version of ''Symphony,'' she has a relatively deep voice.

* TheFourGods: Four of her animals are cuter versions of them. She summons the four gods when she has those animals and performs an item crash.

* FullContactMagic: In ''Nocturne in the Moonlight'', Maria mainly uses [[GoodOldFisticuffs punches and kicks]] to fight, but also fires energy blasts from her fingertips to strike long-distance enemies. She ''can'' cast spells normally, though.

* ImprobableWeaponUser: Animals, including owls, doves, dragons, cats...

* {{Leitmotif}}: "Slash"; it's both her theme in ''Judgment'' and the music accompanying her Spirit Battle in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate''.

* RelatedInTheAdaptation: ''Dracula X'' makes Maria the younger sister of Annette for some reason. This little factoid is not acknowledged in any other Castlevania game.

* SummonMagic: She can summon and control the four holy beasts.

* TragicMonster: In ''Dracula X'', she becomes an incarnation of Carmilla if she isn't rescued in Stage 6 and replaces Death. This concept was recycled for ''Rondo'''s PSP remake, where she becomes a Lesser Vampire if she isn't rescued in Stage 7 and replaces Shaft G. ''Grimoire of Souls'' combines the two so that Annette is made BrainwashedAndCrazy by Carmilla and initially acts like Laura and then fights as her vampiric form during the second phase.

* CrusadingWidower: What drives Hector through the game is revenge for the death of his wife Rosaly. Isaac spread slander about her being a witch, which got her burned to death at the cross. [[spoiler: Though he manages to restrain himself from killing Isaac and presumably find new love with Julia.]]

* GoodCounterpart: To Dracula. Hector has the same backstory of having his wife considered a witch and burned at the stake and this too drove him into a RoaringRampageOfRevenge. However, [[spoiler: he manages to stop himself from killing the one responsible for the tragedy and moves on from his grief. He also has dark powers like Dracula, but Hector uses his to fight for humanity, not against them.]]

* HerHeartWillGoOn: A male example. [[spoiler: Hector avoids killing Isaac to avenge Rosaly's death so he wouldn't fall victim to Dracula's curse. And, at the end of the game, accepts Julia's invitation to live with her.]]

* HeroicWillpower: [[spoiler: He manages not to fall victim to Dracula's curse and restrains himself from killing Isaac. When Zead appears and reveals himself to be Death, he even theorizes if that was due to Hector's spirit being "strong."]]
* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: Though distrustful of most people he meets, he tends to be less harsh and more trusting of Zead than St. Germain. [[spoiler: It proves to be a mistake since Zead is Death and was manipulating him the entire time to revive Dracula. Hector eventually realizes he was used.]]

* MagicalIncantation: His Devil Forging powers are performed through a specific ritual, with the wording being slightly changed to adapt to the current situation, such as awakening an Innocent Devil or [[spoiler: containing or neutralizing Dracula's curse.]]

* {{Revenge}}: You really ''shouldn't'' have implicated Rosaly as [[BurnTheWitch a practitioner of witchcraft]], Isaac. [[spoiler: This is deconstructed since it makes Hector easier to be manipulated by Zead, even though he ends up foiling his plans later.]]

[[folder:St. Germain]]

* BreakingTheFourthWall: In TheStinger. St. Germain is one of the only characters in the franchise to directly address the player.

* HeroAntagonist: [[spoiler:It's revealed that he is actually this in ''Curse of Darkness'', as he frequently advises Hector to call off his pursuit of revenge against Isaac, and he eventually decides to stop him by force. While St. Germain's motives for doing so are initially unknown, it's revealed he was trying to prevent Dracula from being resurrected]].

* ConvenientlyAnOrphan: In ''The Dracula X Chronicles'', when Richter instructs her to go home because her parents are worried about her, Maria informs him that they're already watching over her in heaven because they were killed.

* ShutUpHannibal: During the GoldenEnding of her ''Dracula X Chronicles'' route, she counters Dracula's dying misanthropic rant about how there's no such thing as good or evil, by stating the very obvious fact that hurting others is wrong.

* OfficialCouple: With Richter
* RedEyesTakeWarning: If she becomes a lesser vampire.

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Her name is spelled Annet in ''Dracula X'' and Annette in ''The Dracula X Chronicles''.
* TragicMonster: In the PSP remake, if you don't rescue Iris and Tera and find the right door, she becomes a vampire. The SNES game takes it a step further by making her the boss of the second-to-last stage if you do not rescue her and Maria.
* {{Yandere}}: Once she becomes a vampire in the bad ending route, she immediately wants to turn Richter into a vampire so they can be together.

* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Tera gives off this vibe in ''The Dracula X Chronicles''. She sees Richter as [[GodInHumanForm the manifestation of God Himself]] and Maria as a GuardianAngel.

* {{Meganekko}}: Iris sports a pair of glasses in ''The Dracula X Chronicles''.

A [[AloofDarkHairedGirl tall, dark, and beautiful]] member of the Order of Ecclesia, an organization trying to find a way to defeat Dracula without using the Belmonts [[spoiler: (or so she thought)]], and she has to contain the Glyph which contains her magical power. Shanoa was chosen to host Dominus, a glyph [[spoiler: containing a portion of Dracula's power]], to kill Dracula. Albus, one of her colleagues, became jealous of her and stole the glyph, and in the process she loses her memories and emotions. She is told to hunt down Albus, but eventually smells a rat in her organization after Albus tells her the truth regarding Dominus. [[spoiler: Albus was trying to protect Shanoa from Dominus, since anybody who uses its full power will have their soul consumed. After Dracula is revived and his castle emerges, Shanoa goes to the castle and defeats Dracula with Dominus, but is spared death thanks to Albus, who uses his soul to save her.]] Shanoa vanishes after Dracula's defeat, and Ecclesia's achievements are lost to history.

* {{Leitmotif}}: "Cantus Motetten". [[spoiler: His boss theme is "Sorrow's Distortion."]]

* MeaningfulName: His name is Latin for "white" or "bright", [[spoiler: hinting at his true, heroic nature.]]

* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler: Once Albus dies and is absorbed by the Dominus, his lingering spirit regains his original personality. He only ever wanted to protect Shanoa.]]

* SpannerInTheWorks: His various interferences with the Dominus Glyph are ultimately [[spoiler: what allow him to shield Shanoa from its fatal side-effects, as well as return her memories and emotions into the bargain. He gets bonus points from doing this while his soul is ''inside'' Dominus itself, making him a ''literal'' SpannerInTheWorks.]]

* WellIntentionedExtremist: Despite [[spoiler: being GoodAllAlong]], he still imprisoned innocent people and manipulated Shanoa.

* KungFuWizard: [[spoiler: Despite looking like your typical old SquishyWizard, Barlowe packs a punch capable of knocking Shanoa back to the other end of the arena, as demonstrated during his boss fight]].

* FamousAncestor: [[spoiler: All of the villagers are distant descendants of Leon Belmont.]]

* HeroicLineage: Like most of the other ''Castlevania'' protagonists, he's a Belmont descendant, but in order to claim the AncestralWeapon, Jonathan has to [[spoiler: ''literally face down'' and defeat (the memory of) one of his heroic ancestors, Richter Belmont.]] That's intimidating.

* ReincarnationRomance: Possibly. [[spoiler: It’s been speculated that she is Elisabetha, Lisa, or both, given that Soma is Mathias/Dracula. If this is true, it means that even ''Dracula '' gets a happy ending, finally reunited with his lover in his next life. Not bad for a game with “Sorrow” in the title.]]

* {{Expy}}: Of St. Germain from ''Curse of Darkness''; his alternate color scheme even matches his outfit.

* HighClassGlass: Unlike St. Germain, he doesn't normally wear the appropriate top hat.

* CuteClumsyGirl: In ''Judgment'', she has a cutesy tendency to trip; her Hyper attack involves her tripping at the last moment, allowing an empowered Osca to beat up the enemy for her, while two of her special attacks can randomly fail due to this. This aspect is considered a ScrappyMechanic, because it weakens her attack and gives opponents an advantage to press.

->''"Don't you always? Ask away."''

->''"If my soul can save others, then I won't die in vain. I do not want anyone else to suffer my fate."''

* MeaningfulName / ShoutOut: Which makes her very existence a kind of WalkingSpoiler. [[spoiler:In ''Film/BramStokersDracula'', ''Elisabeta'' is the name of Dracula's wife whose death leads to his start of darkness.]]

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: An H in her case in the English translation, as it's not there in Japanese. It would be more accurate without.

->''"You ain't seen one quick as me before!"''

->''"You will never touch this world again. In Mother's name, I swear it!"''

->''"Isaac! I will hunt you down like the beast you are!!"''

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Recent info suggests that Rosaly's name should instead be spelled as Rosalee.

->''"Be vigilant Hector. I have an ill feeling. It bodes not well."''

->''"Tha-that bracelet... so you wore it after all..."''

->''"Hmm. A gentleman after all. Thank you."''

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Her surname has always been "Renard" in English, but fans noticed that in Japanese (ラーネッド, ''Raaneddo'') it's identical to the translation of the surname "Learned" as seen in other contexts.[[note]]Like the Learned Memorial Library of Doshisha University in Kyoto, named after one Rev. Dr. Dwight W. Learned, a missionary-teacher.[[/note]]

->''"If my death can save others, I gladly surrender my life..."''

* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Lisa has pale blonde hair, which Alucard inherits. He also takes his good nature from her, [[WordOfGod and also the Holy trait.]]

->''"Hehehe... thank you."''

->''"I am the blade to banish all evil, and I've come to see you annihilated."''

->''"What... kind of brother would I be... if I didn't protect you...? That's... my role."''

* DeathCryEcho: ''"SHANOAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"''

->''"No one will listen to reason from the mouth of a beast."''

->''"The destiny of my blood means I must destroy Dracula."''

A descendant from the Belmont Clan, he's inherited the Vampire Killer whip as well as the duty of destroying Dracula whenever he arises. He was raised in the ways of the church and abhors attacking women and children, a trait that comes into question when he comes across a female vampire named Rosa in the abbey grounds. Even after her demise at the hands of [[TheGrimReaper Death]], he remains resolute, successfully destroying Dracula's new incarnation and proving that even the damned are worthy of forgiveness. Unfortunately, he's very difficult to play as, and thus only those with the maddest of superskills (and stubbornness aplenty) reach the end of his story. [[WhatCouldHaveBeen He was almost Schneider Belmont]].

[[folder:Carrie Belnades/Fernandez]]

->''"While Dracula exists, children live in terror. I cannot desert them!"''

->''"I cannot stand this agony any more. A cursed soul, doomed to exist forever as a vampire..."''

->''"Witness the might of the Alucard Spear!"''

->''"We can take on anyone. No problem!"''

->''"I'll be with you, so relax. You'll be fine."''

[[SpellMyNameWithAnS Originally named "Charlotte Orlean"]] during the game's development, a CuteWitch deployed from the church to assist Jonathan in his task. Charlotte mostly acts as the intellectual foil to the hotheaded Jonathan. She eventually learns a spell that proves to be vital in curing the vampirization of Stella and Loretta, and later helps Jonathan out in defeating Dracula.

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: At least one instance of "Charotte Aulin" is in certain copies of the game, which is a leftover from the original Japanese release.

->''"Ha ha ha. It's so much fun to tease you. But this is not the time to be fooling around."''

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Another rōmaji example via long vowels; it's also common to spell Yoko as "Youko".

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: She was originally planned to appear as a playable character in ''Bloodlines''.

->''"You'll visit my shop again, won't ya? I'll be waitin' for ya."''

->''"At first we were shocked, but everyone believes you'll get through this."''

->''"My name is Aeon. Shall we begin the first trial?"''

->''"Where is place for me?"''

* BaldOfAwesome: He's one of the few bald guys in ''Castlevania'', and he's actually a really nice guy.

* ''Characters/CaptainNTheGameMaster'' [[note]]Simon Belmont, The Count, Alucard, Old Wizard[[/note]]

** ''Characters/SuperSmashBrosUltimate64To69'' [[note]]Simon[[/note]]
** ''Characters/SuperSmashBrosEchoFighters'' [[note]]Richter[[/note]]
** ''Characters/SuperSmashBrosAssistTrophies'' [[note]]Alucard[[/note]]
** ''Characters/SuperSmashBrosBosses'' [[note]]Dracula[[/note]]
** ''Characters/SuperSmashBrosOthers'' [[note]]Dracula's Castle Monsters[[/note]]

[[folder:Old Axe Armor]]
->''"[[BigWhat WHAT?!]]"''

Either a) a veteran zombie warrior wearing antique armor; or b) a complete suit of armor the player can wear (sometimes both), depending on the game it is found in.
----
* BigWhat: Alucard has this reaction if he's poisoned, cursed, or turned into stone. And when he wears the Axe Armor. And in some cutscenes as well... Amusingly, if you shift back to Alucard's normal form in a space too small for him to stand. Clearly he wasn't expecting to get stuck in a crouching position.
* JokeCharacter: In ''Symphony'', wearing this armor limits Alucard's movement, as he can't jump in this form and thus can't explore much. Oddly, he can't even throw his axe as you'd expect. What's amusing about it is his idle animation, in which he raises the axe and shouts "Hah! Hah! Hah! Ho!".
* SamusIsAGirl: Implied in its unlockable mode, enemies with gender-based reactions will react to Old Axe Armor as if it was female. A rare case of this being done for gameplay purposes. Astarte's Temptation attack would essentially be an instant Game Over if Old Axe Armor were considered male, as they don't have a partner. [[http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/castlevania/images/b/b3/Por_pic_41.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20081025191513 There's even official art of her!]]
** Inverted with the voice clips used and through datamining. In gameplay, the Old Axe Armor uses clips of Jonathan.
[[/folder]]

* BreakoutMookCharacter: Old Axe Armor is normally a minor recurring enemy, but now you can play as one, a kin to the Axe Lord Armor in ''Symphony of the Night''.

* DistressedDamsel: Just like Annette.

* DistressedDamsel: Surprisingly averted, she only needs protection at the start of the first ''Sorrow'' game when unconscious, and remains safe after that. [[spoiler:The one time she was "kidnapped" turned out to be an illusion, and the real Mina was safe and sound.]]

* KungFuWizard: [[spoiler: Despite looking like your typical old SquishyWizard, Barlowe packs a punch capable of knocking Shanoa back to the other end of the arena, as demostrated during his boss fight]].

!!!'''Voiced by (English):''' Robert Belgrade (''Symphony of the Night''), Creator/YuriLowenthal (''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaTheDraculaXChronicles The Dracula X Chronicles]]'', ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaJudgment, Harmony of Despair'', ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'')Chris Nelson (''Grimoire of Souls'')

!!!'''Voiced by (English):''' Robert Belgrade (''Symphony of the Night''), Creator/YuriLowenthal (''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaTheDraculaXChronicles The Dracula X Chronicles]]'', ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaJudgment, Harmony of Despair'', ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'')

* AgentPeacock: He's a LongHairedPrettyBoy who wears CombatStilettos, a ClassyCravat, and his [[BadassLongcoat signature frock coat]], but he's also a badass fighter and a powerful [half-]vampire.

** [[Characters/CastlevaniaLordsOfShadowAlucard Alucard]]

* KillTheCutie: [[spoiler:Subverted. It surely looked like it happened in ''Dawn'', but it turned out to be a doppelganger who got shot instead]].

* ReincarnationRomance: With herself as Elisabetha/Lisa, and Soma as Mathias/Dracula.

* SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong[=/=]TimePolice: His goal is to stop a plot by [[spoiler:Galamoth of ''Kid Dracula'' and ''Symphony of the Night'' fame]] to dispose of Dracula in the past, replace him, and, you guessed it, TakeOverTheWorld.
* SharpDressedMan

* DyingRequest: In the games, her last words are remembered by Alucard as "Do not hate humans. If you cannot live with them, then at least do them no harm, for theirs is already a hard lot," as well as admitting that she will love her husband forever.

* [[{{Characters/Castlevania}} Main continuity]]
** [[Characters/CastlevaniaTheBelmontClan The Belmont Clan]]
** [[Characters/CastlevaniaAntagonists Antagonists]]

!!!'''Voiced by (Japanese):''' Creator/HikaruMidorikawa
!!!'''Voiced by (English):''' Eric Davies (''Harmony of Despair'')

->''"If I lose the battle, and become the reincarnation of evil... I want you to kill me."''

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/soma_cruz.png]]

A seemingly OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent caught in an eclipse which brought him to Dracula's castle. Guided by Genya Arikado, he ventures through the castle and later discovers the horrible truth: he is the reincarnation of Dracula. However, he resists his fate as the Dark Lord and manages to come out safely as a normal human.\\\

Later, a cult confronts him, trying to create another Dark Lord, and chooses him as one of the candidates to become the new Dracula. Soma confronts them and eventually prevails in resisting to become the new Dark Lord (again).

* AloofAlly: He initially has trouble getting to know certain individuals in ''Aria of Sorrow''. Downplayed in later titles as he learns to open up to others more often.
* AlternateCharacterReading: How his last name is rendered; the kanji gives it the furigana reading of "Kurusu".
* AGlassOfChianti: In the bad endings of both of his starring appearances, he rediscovers his irrational compulsion to destroy perfectly good wine glasses.
* AmbiguouslyHuman: After the events of ''Aria'', he ''may'' not be entirely human anymore, since he trails afterimages behind him when he's moving, similar to Alucard in ''Symphony''.
* AntiAntiChrist: Fated as the reincarnation of Dracula and to resume his reign of terror. He can fail to overcome the dark desires, or succeed. Canonically, he usually succeeds.
* ApologeticAttacker: In ''Dawn'', right before [[spoiler:potentially murdering Celia in a RoaringRampageOfRevenge, he asks the deceased[[note]](or so he thinks)[[/note]] Mina for her forgiveness]].
* AxCrazy: [[spoiler:By the time he's encountered at the end of Julius Mode in ''Dawn'', it's clear that he has gone absolutely ''nuts'', what with the [[EvilLaugh maniacal laughter]] and all. Bonus points for liberally using a giant axe in this state]].
* BadassLongcoat: It was longer in ''Aria'', but the ''Dawn'' one is still awesome. It was shortened to be more practical.
* BadPowersGoodPeople: Being the reincarnation of Dracula, Soma can absorb and the souls of demons and monsters, which allows him to control their powers. However, Soma is a genuinely nice person who attempts to use his powers for good without being overcome by them.
* BadassUnintentional: The only reason he goes into Castlevania is simply because he's looking for a way out and nothing more. Even moreso after he realizes he is Dracula and could presumably become the Dark Lord again with little effort, he rejects that, saying he does not want to give up his life.
* BagOfSpilling: He collects souls when he's in danger, fighting monsters. But when the danger has passed, over time, he eventually releases his control over those souls, losing all his powers.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: [[spoiler:Celia learns the hard way what happens if you screw with Soma's loved ones. Long story short, he turns into the Dark Lord and proceeds to brutally murder her for killing Mina.]] Even in ''Harmony Of Despair'', his dorky innocent self is mirrored by some pretty fierce quotes, reminding you that he is indeed the reincarnation of Dracula.
-->'''Soma:''' ''DIE!''
* BlessedWithSuck / CursedWithAwesome: He is Dracula's reincarnation and can become the Dark Lord if presumably corrupted by the castle or giving into utter hatred. He does get the Power of Dominance, which is pretty nifty, but the downside is he's one (really) bad day away from becoming the absolute enemy of humanity.
* CharacterDevelopment: Throughout most of ''Aria'', Soma is non-confrontational to a fault, always trying (and failing) to avoid whatever altercations may ensue. It's taken to such an extreme that when [[SinisterMinister Graham]], who had '''attempted to kill Soma's friend just a few screens ago''', tells Soma that he wants all the souls in Soma's possession, Soma's response is essentially "I'd hand them over if I could". After Soma defeats the source of Dracula's power inside of himself, he becomes more confident, and his willingness to take on his foes head-on rather than meekly avoiding conflict continues to build throughout most of ''Dawn of Sorrow''. By the time he reaches the final boss of ''Dawn'', the foe is a mindless creature who Soma decides to kill on the spot, despite it posing no direct threat to him, because he knows it's the right thing to do.
-->'''Soma:''' Letting this out would be a disaster... It must end here!
* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: His clothes are mostly blue and white, but he wears [[{{Foreshadowing}} a black shirt]] underneath the white coat. [[spoiler: His color scheme is also the inverse of Mathias Cronqvist's, and both wear [[PrettyInMink fur collars]].]]
* ComesGreatResponsibility: He believes that power isn't worth a thing if people don't know how to use it.
* DarkIsNotEvil: He fights by absorbing the souls of his defeated enemies, yet stubbornly remains a fairly NiceGuy.
* {{Dracula}}: Formerly. [[spoiler: In the bad endings, currently.]]
* DubNameChange: The "Kurusu" reading of his family name is kept in the Japanese versions with his nationality being Japanese; however, in the English versions, this becomes "Cruz", so it's explained by him being a foreign transfer student.
* EvilLaugh: If Soma becomes the Dark Lord in ''Dawn'', he gains an epic EvilLaugh that would give the old Drac a run for his money!
* FaustianRebellion: Should he stay good in ''Aria of Sorrow'', [[spoiler:he fights, and kills, Chaos, the dark god Dracula's power comes from]].
* FinalBoss: [[spoiler:Of ''Dawn of Sorrow'''s Julius Mode.]]
* FreudianExcuse: [[spoiler:In Julius Mode, he started off as a fairly decent NiceGuy. [[TheLostLenore One dead Mina Hakuba]] later (or so what he's led to believe), he's an AxCrazy lunatic who must be killed to stop him from wrecking havoc]].
* FromNobodyToNightmare: [[spoiler:Potentially, from OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent to aspiring [[KillAllHumans slaughterer of humanity]]. Thankfully ''potentially''.]]
* GoodColorsEvilColors: Visually, his clothing (especially his long coat) resembles Dracula's, but with the color scheme inverted; Dracula primarily wears red and black whereas Soma wears blue and white.
* TheGunslinger: Soma has access to a variety to firearms, including standard pistols, [[GrenadeLauncher an RPG]], and a decidedly futuristic [[WaveMotionGun positron rifle]].
* HeroicBSOD: He understandably experiences one near the tail end of ''Dawn''. If he doesn't have Mina's Talisman with him, it quickly escalates into a full-blown FreakOut.
* HistoryRepeats: [[spoiler:In the bad ending of ''Dawn of Sorrow''. Like Dracula before him, Soma snaps and becomes evil after the death of a loved one, the only difference being that Mina's death was faked while Lisa was KilledOffForReal.]]
* IAmWho: He does not know that he is the reincarnation of Dracula until near the good end or the bad end of ''Aria of Sorrow''.
* LateArrivalSpoiler: He's the reincarnation of Dracula. This is made explicit in the opening cutscenes of ''Dawn of Sorrow''.
* {{Leitmotif}}: In ''Aria'', he has "Ruined Castle Corridor", and in ''Dawn'' he has "Pitch Black Intrusion". Both of them also serve as his themes in ''Harmony of Despair''. [[spoiler:And in Julius Mode, he regains his prior life's leitmotif, "Dance of Illusions".]]
* LightIsNotGood: [[spoiler:He'll still be wearing his white and blue coat even if he ''does'' succumb to insanity]].
* LoveMakesYouEvil: If Soma does not wear the amulet he was given as he confronts Celia in the center of the castle, [[spoiler:he suffers the same fate he did in his past life and becomes evil to avenge the death of a loved one, or whatever Mina is to him]].
* MyGreatestSecondChance: From Dracula's perspective, Soma, since he's now free of the endless cycle of death and resurrection, and can now live happily with Mina.
* MysticalWhiteHair: As long as he can prevent himself from becoming Dracula again.
* NonSpecificallyForeign: In the English version of ''Aria'', where he is stated to be a transfer student. Spanish? American? European? Nobody has any idea.
* NotSoStoic: Despite his usual composed demeanor, he is still prone to occasional dorky, usually involving Mina. He also freaks out when he thinks he killed Dmitrii, and [[FreakOut absolutely loses it if Mina is killed.]]
* OneWingedAngel: [[spoiler:In Julius Mode, he takes the same monstrous form Dracula used in ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaRondoOfBlood Rondo of Blood]]''.]]
* OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent: Initially. All he really wants is to continue to ''be'' this: he has no interest in the Dark Lord, Dracula, Castlevania, or the demons or monsters that he fights. He just wants to be Soma Cruz.
* PastLifeMemories: After [[spoiler:Dmitrii's soul leaves Soma's body]], he mentioned that he scanned Soma's soul for memories of his past lives, including knowledge regarding his son, Alucard. Whether Soma fully recalled these memories or abandoned them is left unclear.
* PowerCopying: The Power of Dominance manifests as this: he can "collect" the souls of enemies he defeats to gain some aspect of their power, becoming ever more powerful the more he fights. Notably, it's not quite as refined as Dracula's ability, who used Dominance to control huge armies, but then, Soma doesn't actually ''want'' Dominance to begin with.
* PrettyInMink: His [=AoS=] coat has white fur along the collar of it which many fans have dubbed "The Pimp Coat". [[spoiler: It's echoed by Mathias' [[FurAndLoathing fur collar]] in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLamentOfInnocence'', which was released later that year.]] He trades it in for a more subdued white longcoat in ''Dawn of Sorrow''. (His outfit is a modernized take on Dracula's usual lordly apparel.)
* ReincarnationRomance: Soma as Mathias/Dracula, and Mina as Elisabetha/Lisa. (This is not confirmed, but it's heavily implied.)
* RogueProtagonist: He can potentially become this in ''Dawn of Sorrow''.
* SheIsNotMyGirlfriend: Around Mina Hakuba, his VictoriousChildhoodFriend. It takes the sheer gravity of what he's been through (and HundredPercentCompletion) for him to even allow her to openly hold his hand at the end of ''Aria''. Yoko also has a fun time poking fun at Soma with this.
* SlasherSmile: Sports a magnificently terrifying one if [[spoiler:Soma becomes the Dark Lord]].
* SlouchOfVillainy: He ''is'' Dracula's reincarnation, after all.
* SomethingOnlyTheyWouldSay: Quotes his previous life [[spoiler:before going True Dracula mode]] in the Japanese version of ''Dawn'''s Julius Mode.
-->'''Soma:''' [[spoiler:Ware ni '''[[PowerMakesYourVoiceDeep chikara wo...]]'''[[note]]"Grant me power!"[[/note]]]]
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: The romaji of his given name has a long vowel via an extra "u"; the non-lazy way of writing/typing it is "Souma".
* StraightMan: He sometimes ends up being this to characters such as Hammer.
* SuperpoweredEvilSide: If the player is defeated while fighting the TrueFinalBoss in ''Aria of Sorrow'' or makes the wrong choice in ''Dawn of Sorrow'', this surfaces and Soma becomes Dracula.
* SuperpowerLottery: His Power of Dominance makes Soma ''the'' most powerful player character in the franchise. Only Alucard and Shanoa come close.
* TechnicalPacifist: Although he has no qualms against killing hordes of demons, he is disturbed and shaken when it appears as though he's killed Dmitrii, and in the bad ending, is regretful that he had to put down Dario.
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: Certain souls will allow him to turn into specific monsters.
* WhiteHairBlackHeart: [[spoiler:If he becomes the next Dracula]], which interestingly, creates a parallel with his original incarnation.
* WildHair: As Dracula, he has uncombed hair, fitting for a Dark Lord.
* YourSoulIsMine: Soma's speciality, called the Power of Dominance, an ability carried over from his previous lives.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Yoko Belnades]]
!!!'''Voiced by (Japanese):''' Hiroko Takahashi (''Aria of Sorrow''; credited by her real name Ao Takahashi in ''Dawn of Sorrow'' and ''Harmony of Despair'')
!!!'''Voiced by (English):''' Creator/KarenStrassman (''Harmony of Despair'')

[[quoteright:340:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yoko_belnades.png]]

->''"Ha ha ha. It's so much fun to tease you. But this is not the time to be fooling around."''

A descendant of Sypha. Yoko is a powerful witch, and is very skilled in the use of magic spells. She is a member of the church, and was sent to the Hakuba Shrine in 2035 to investigate the return of Castlevania, along with Genya Arikado. She was injured in the incident, but later recovered. In 2036, she assisted Julius, Arikado, and Soma in fighting the cult that was seeking to resurrect the dark lord.
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* PinkIsFeminine: Her predominant color scheme, as well as the factor of being the only female in the game, though it's also mixed with [[GracefulLadiesLikePurple purple]].