History NightmareFuel / CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight

* The GameOver screen. Whether it is [[http://imgur.com/qgwX5cC the imagery]] or [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao7ATGYquBU the music]], either one of those things are more than likely to catch gamers off-guard [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtLe2lDIdkw&feature=relmfu when combined.]]

** On the other hand, consider the situation from Alucard's viewpoint and think about what it means to be [[HornyDevils attacked by a Succubus]] — a succubus who ''[[IncestSubtext impersonated your dearly departed mother]]''. If you think ''[[FateWorseThanDeath winning]]'' that fight is nightmare-inducing, '''[[NoYay losing it would be worse]]'''. The original Japanese version and the DXC port even have an [[NonstandardGameOver alternate game-over voice clip]] of the Succubus saying something to the effect of "Come wander the darkness with me, love." while the dummied-out English version of the original release had her say "Now you'll be my own ''personal'' slave!" — both quotes had her give a lascivious laugh.

* The inverted castle can be this, [[ParanoiaFuel with more powerful and often disturbing enemies, eerie music in parts compared to the uplifting pieces in the normal castle, and new bosses like the one below that can easily catch one off guard]]. Some parts of the castle are notably darker, and it shows how this is the real lead-up to Alucard's actual showdown with his father.

* The demise of the succubus can be creepy, especially in Japanese. Alucard is terrifyingly calm as he explains [[FateWorseThanDeath what happens when your astral body dies in a dream]], and the succubus starts frantically trying to dissuade him. The screen blacks out, and her scream ''cuts off''. This is the ''only'' death in the series you do not see. [[NothingIsScarier That makes it so much worse.]] Even the Narmy dub can be freaky, as her death cry bounces between pain and orgasm.

* Some of ''[=SotN'=]''s songs themselves are terrifying to listen to. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAQHwnwxPoI Door of Holy Spirits]], the background music to the Reverse Colosseum, sounds like something you'd hear in a horror movie. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOq9bODf_UY Abandoned Pit]] has the potential to drive you insane if you're listening to it in real catacombs, and to worsen matters, it's played not only in the normal Abandoned Pit, but also the Cave (the Reverse Pit). And should you go through that area, beyond the boss battle with Death, into the Floating Catacombs, you're greeted with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8TR_ZsDdBc Curse Zone]], which starts to get more chaotic and freakish at the 0:41 mark. There's also [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5qr41fOfPg Enchanted Banquet]] (which plays during the fight with the succubus) which has a droning OneWomanWail LastNoteNightmare and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE5-cvtioME Door to the Abyss]] (which plays in the center of the castle).

* Some of ''[=SotN'=]''s songs themselves are terrifying to listen to. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAQHwnwxPoI Door of Holy Spirits]], the background music to the Reverse Colosseum, sounds like something you'd hear in a horror movie. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOq9bODf_UY Abandoned Pit]] has the potential to drive you insane if you're listening to it in real catacombs, and to worsen matters, it's played not only in the normal Abandoned Pit, but also the Cave (the Reverse Pit). And should you go through that area, beyond the boss battle with Death, into the Floating Catacombs, you're greeted with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8TR_ZsDdBc Curse Zone]], which starts to get more chaotic and freakish at the 0:41 mark. There's also [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5qr41fOfPg Enchanted Banquet]] (which plays during the fight with the succubus) which has a droning OneWomanWail LastNoteNightmare and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMMSL9znTmc Door to the Abyss]] (which plays in the centre of the castle).

* The demise of the succubus can be creepy, especially in Japanese. Alucard is terrifyingly calm as he explains [[FateWorseThanDeath what happens when your astral body dies in a dream]], and the succubus starts frantically trying to dissuade him. The screen blacks out, and her scream ''cuts off''. This is the ''only'' death in the series you do not see. [[NothingIsScarier That makes it so much worse]]. Even the Narmy dub can be freaky, as her death cry bounces between pain and orgasm.
** She had no idea who Alucard was at first, either. No one sent her after you, and she masquerades as his mother. Given Dracula's attitude toward his wife - and his lack of ability to keep his temper in check - how well do you think he might take some half-dressed harlot of a demoness pretending to be her? Consider his historical namesake's penchant for people on sticks, combine it with his hellbound powers, and then wish they made Clorox for the mind's eye. That may explain why Dracula summons her during the FinalBoss battle, only to immediately crush her between his massive claws and drink the blood to heal his own wounds—presumably as punishment for daring to take Lisa's visage.
** On the other hand, consider the situation from Alucard's viewpoint and think about what it means to be [[HornyDevils attacked by a Succubus]]—a succubus who ''[[IncestSubtext impersonated your dearly departed mother]]'' If you think ''[[FateWorseThanDeath winning]]'' that fight is nightmare-inducing, '''[[NoYay losing it would be worse]]'''. The original Japanese version and the DXC port even have an [[NonstandardGameOver alternate game-over voice clip]] of the Succubus saying something to the effect of "Come wander the darkness with me, love." while the dummied-out English version of the original release had her say "Now you'll be my own ''personal'' slave!"—both quotes had her give a lascivious laugh.
*** Think that if the Succubus hadn't tried to impersonate Lisa that things might have gone better for her? Take a good look at her face in her true form—eye color notwithstanding ''it still looks '''exactly''' like Lisa's.'' On one hand Alucard might still have been offended at the idea of some demoness sharing his mother's face and simply rip into her, and on the other it might have made things easier for the Succubus to mess with Alucard's head which is a mess as it is.

* Shaft. He [[BrainwashedAndCrazy gets into Richter's brain]], which can be horrifically [[ParanoiaFuel paranoia-inducing]] - if such a righteous hero as Richter couldn't resist his powers, what chance do your companions - or ''you'' - have?

[[quoteright:190:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/136_full_6002.png]]
[[caption-width-right:190:All the Kings of Evil are decking their castles out with giant rotting corpses nowadays.]]

* Some of [=SotN=]'s songs themselves are terrifying to listen to. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAQHwnwxPoI Door of Holy Spirits]], the background music to the Reverse Colosseum, sounds like something you'd hear in a horror movie. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOq9bODf_UY Abandoned Pit]] has the potential to drive you insane if you're listening to it in real catacombs, and to worsen matters, it's played not only in the normal Abandoned Pit, but also the Cave (the Reverse Pit). And should you go through that area, beyond the boss battle with Death, into the Floating Catacombs, you're greeted with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8TR_ZsDdBc Curse Zone]], which starts to get more chaotic and freakish at the 0:41 mark. There's also [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5qr41fOfPg Enchanted Banquet]] (which plays during the fight with the succubus) which has a droning OneWomanWail LastNoteNightmare and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMMSL9znTmc Door to the Abyss]] (which plays in the centre of the castle).

** She had no idea who Alucard was at first, either. No one sent her after you, and she masquerades as his mother. Given Dracula's attitude toward his wife - and his lack of ability to keep his temper in check - how well do you think he might take some half-dressed harlot of a demoness pretending to be her? Consider his historical namesake's penchant for people on sticks, combine it with his hellbound powers, and then wish they made Clorox for the mind's eye. That may explain why Dracula summons her during the FinalBoss battle, only to immediately crush her between his massive claws and drink the blood to heal his own wounds.
** On the other hand, consider the situation from Alucard's viewpoint and think about what it means to be [[HornyDevils attacked by a Succubus]]. By a succubus that's ''[[IncestSubtext impersonating your mother]]''. If you think ''[[FateWorseThanDeath winning]]'' that fight is nightmare-inducing, [[NoYay losing it is worse]]. The Japanese version even has an [[NonstandardGameOver alternate game-over voice clip]] of the Succubus saying something to the effect of: "Let us two wander the eternal darkness together," then giving a lascivious chuckle. The dummied-out English version had her say "Now you'll be my ''permanent'' slave!"

** In the final battle with Dracula, the big man summons her back from her demise and ''instantly crushes her'', presumably to restore himself, and as punishment for daring to take Lisa's visage.

** It's [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation possible]] that Richter's rants prior to the boss fight with him is actually Richter's own personal fears of losing purpose in his family's war against Dracula, with his one victory being the only thing he could contribute before needing to father the next generation. Think about that for a moment: if Richter's words are indeed from his own self, then Shaft is using the Belmont's own fears against him and making him willing to risk the world due to his own weakness. His guilt, and near-panic in the PSP version, only makes that more chilling...

** Discussed in {{Alternative Character Interpretation}} on {{YMMV}} page, but it's possible that Richter's rants prior to the boss fight with him is actually Richter's own personal fears of losing purpose in his family's war against Dracula, with his one victory being the only thing he could contribute before needing to father the next generation. Think about that for a moment: if Richter's words are indeed from his own self, then Shaft is using the Belmont's own fears against him and making him willing to risk the world due to his own weakness. His guilt, and near-panic in the PSP version, only makes that more chilling...

* The inverted castle can be this, [[CaptainObvious as it has the exact same layout inverted.]] [[ParanoiaFuel But with new enemies that are much disturbing, different eerie music in parts compared to the uplifting pieces in the normal castle, and has different bosses like the one below that can easily catch one off guard]]. Some parts of the castle are notably darker and it shows how this is the real lead to Alucards actual showdown with his Father.
* Beelzebub (As Provided as the Page image) is a truly giant, green, rotting corpse with various equally sickening organs showing. It's also grimacing and got long, stringy white hair. It's suspended by chains and ''meat hooks''. And covered with [[MessyMaggots maggots]] and [[FliesEqualsEvil giant flies]], which it sends to attack you. They have a way of appearing "close to the screen" when they zoom into the room as well. To top it all off, the arms and legs of the corpse fall off after they have been damaged enough.

* The inverted castle can be this, as it has the exact same layout inverted. [[ParanoiaFuel but with new enemies that are much disturbing, different eerie music in parts compared to the uplifting pieces in the normal castle, and has different bosses like the one below that can easily catch one off guard]]. Some parts of the castle are notably darker and it shows how this is the real lead to Alucards actual showdown with his Father.

* The inverted castle can be this, as it has the exact same inverted layout, [[ParanoiaFuel but with new enemies that are much disturbing, different eerie music in parts compared to the uplifting pieces in the normal castle, and has different bosses like the one below that can easily catch one off guard]]. Some parts of the castle are notably darker and it shows how this is the real lead to Alucards actual showdown with his Father.

* Some of [=SotN=]'s songs themselves are terrifying to listen to. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAQHwnwxPoI Door of Holy Spirits]], the background music to the Reverse Colosseum, sounds like something you'd hear in a horror movie. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOq9bODf_UY Abandoned Pit]] has the potential to drive you insane if you're listening to it in real catacombs, and to worsen matters, it's played not only in the normal Abandoned Pit, but also the Cave (the Reverse Pit). And should you go through that area, beyond the boss battle with Death, into the Floating Catacombs, you're greeted with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8TR_ZsDdBc Curse Zone]], which starts to get more chaotic and freakish at the 0:41 mark. There's also [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSdV5QarbRg Enchanted Banquet]] (which plays during the fight with the succubus) which has a droning OneWomanWail LastNoteNightmare and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMMSL9znTmc Door to the Abyss]] (which plays in the centre of the castle).

* Some of [=SotN=]'s songs themselves are terrifying to listen to. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlDp9gElLnI Door of Holy Spirits]], the background music to the Reverse Colosseum, sounds like something you'd hear in a horror movie. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOq9bODf_UY Abandoned Pit]] has the potential to drive you insane if you're listening to it in real catacombs, and to worsen matters, it's played not only in the normal Abandoned Pit, but also the Cave (the Reverse Pit). And should you go through that area, beyond the boss battle with Death, into the Floating Catacombs, you're greeted with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8TR_ZsDdBc Curse Zone]], which starts to get more chaotic and freakish at the 0:41 mark. There's also [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSdV5QarbRg Enchanted Banquet]] (which plays during the fight with the succubus) which has a droning OneWomanWail LastNoteNightmare and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMMSL9znTmc Door to the Abyss]] (which plays in the centre of the castle).

* After descending far underground to the deepest part of the castle, you encounter Granfalloon/Legion in the catacombs. It is a Cosmic Horror creature covered in a "shell" of naked, faceless corpses, and they're screaming.
* Beelzebub (As Provided as the Page image) is a truly giant, green, rotting corpse with various equally sickening organs showing. It's also grimacing and got long, stringy white hair. It's suspended by chains and ''meat hooks''. And covered with maggots and giant flies, which it sends to attack you. They have a way of appearing "close to the screen" when they zoom into the room as well. To top it all off, the arms and legs of the corpse fall off after they have been damaged enough.

** Legion returns in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaPortraitOfRuin'', only this time, to add to the nightmare, the bodies ''fall off'' as you damage the boss, disappearing into nothing. Try to not think about how those might have been innocent souls you just murdered.

* Beelzebub (As Provided as the Page image) is a truly giant, green, rotting corpse with various equally sickening organs showing. It's also grimacing and got long, stringy white hair. It's suspended by chains and ''meat hooks''. And covered with giant maggot-fly-things, which it sends to attack you. They have a way of appearing "close to the screen" when they zoom into the room as well. To top it all off, the arms and legs of the corpse fall off after they have been damaged enough.

** The method of finding her is rather eerie, to say the least. You make your way to a [[NothingIsScarier relatively empty]] section of the castle and find a SavePoint, but instead of pulsing with the usual red and gold colors, it's inverted in color. There's a legit save point in another room on the other side of the hallway, so you ''know'' that something is up with this particular not-savepoint.

* Beelzebub is a truly giant, green, rotting corpse with various equally sickening organs showing. It's also grimacing and got long, stringy white hair. It's suspended by chains and ''meat hooks''. And covered with giant maggot-fly-things, which it sends to attack you. They have a way of appearing "close to the screen" when they zoom into the room as well. To top it all off, the arms and legs of the corpse fall off after they have been damaged enough.