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Post by leonbelmont on Feb 25, 2023 3:31:03 GMT -5
We have a general shipping thread we have a favorite Castlevania game thread. Now here's a place to gush about your favorites (because I had to physically restrain myself from talking about mine in the shipping thread) Soma. I think he is the best Castlevania character. I'm so sorry to Alucard who is definitely high up there but to fully appreciate you requires knowledge of multiple games to really hit home, meanwhile what Soma can do in just Aria... he is a teenager he has no friends except Mina he wears a gucci coat he's our favorite littleguy no one wants to believe that he's considered intimidating because he does NOT give off that vibe in game. he calls Hammer "gramps" to his face. He thinks it is suspicious when Julius only gives him an initial for a name. He's Dracula. He is the one to ultimately end the cycle because he has decided he doesn't want it to repeat. He has probably made a tiktok before. He's everything you could ever want. Alucard is also one of the best characters, especially since he gets a whole multigame arc. More time to marinate! More time to really dig into his personal grief and tragedy and all. Sotn only hits harder with the context of cv3 (the upside-down arena boss fight? wough.), but even on its own it's pretty solid. his appearances since then and ESPECIALLY in the Sorrows games are really good. I want to know so bad how he reacted when he first found out about Soma and I love how Soma is like... baffled when Yoko says that Arikado cares about him. Boy howdy do I love it when I can see the edges of some Complex Emotions! Sypha. She is sooooo transgender. I like the idea of her complimenting Trevor where Trevor is a "I don't care [cares a lot]" type and Sypha is more "Of course I care! [<-doing this for deeply personal reasons]". I think they soften each other up, and I think that Sypha sees Trevor struggling under the weight of expectation for the first time after taking his whole "I don't care" thing at face value and goes oh. ohhhh. I LOVE that she is noted as becoming more confident in herself after cv3, that this experience is something freeing for her and that she is loved and cared for. Also for no reason at all (...okay maybe some reasoning, but) I associate her with small animal care, like. Hamsters. Gerbils. Is this time period or location accurate? Probably not! But it's real to me! Lydie. Lydie was one of the first Castlevania characters I knew about, mostly because I was a part of a multifandom rp with someone who wrote her, and that person's Lydie was so absolutely DELIGHTFUL. one of my few published Castlevania fics accidentally ended up featuring her prominently, so strong was my fondness for her. She's a relatively small part of her game and the narrative... doesn't treat her well. But that's okay, because I can treat her better. Maria... she is simply delightful. I love her and I love her pets and I love her writing as a kid character in Rondo? also while I miss the cheesiness of the original sotn dub and translation, I DO think that Maria is only improved by the redub/relocalization. I don't really have solid Maria thoughts I just see her and go ! Richter. The Belmont. Guy who tried to break the cycle. Guy who can fit so much gender in there. The whole struggle they go through in sotn is soooo real. I could say so much more, but...
Leon... not as well written as some of the characters here, but I adore him so much. I have so many feelings about him. He's a guy of all time. I mean, obviously he is when I'm using him as username and icon here, but... I love his tragedy and I love complexities and
And of course, how could I leave out my best worstie, Mathias. I don't always love evil guys but this guy is like a chew toy to me. He is so interesting. What is going on in his mind? why did he do that. God the complexities of him and Leon being besties and the whole tragedy of the ensuing cycle that all started over a ruined friendship THAT THE GAME FAILS SO BAD AT MAKING YOU CARE ABOUT!! And yet the impact of the tragedy clearly worked on me anyways. Here's a meme I made about this guy's affect on me:
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Post by walterbernhard on Feb 25, 2023 4:39:06 GMT -5
Oh gee, wonder who my favourite is.
Soma's quite high up in terms of favourite, but part of that is definitely because he's responsible for me getting into Castlevania, but as a character he's also incredibly interesting.
Joachim is such a nice character, even if he's not as well written as some other characters. He knows what he wants, and he levitates with swords.
I saw Walter once and I sort of just went "YOU." I definitely enjoy the way he's written; evil for the sake of he was bored and just already like that. He's irredeemable, and that's what I love about him. It's also interesting watching him realise he's not got control and basically having a glorified hissy fit nearer the end. He's easy to find base wants just from his few scenes in the game, and even with LOI's wonderful graphics, you can tell he's the head honcho from how he walks and sounds. The 4Komas definitely made me like him more, but they're less serious. Even then, they show Walter as a control freak. His lack of remorse is also really interesting to me, especially in regards to him letting Rinaldo stay to make the "game" more entertaining for himself. The fact it's a game to him also really fascinates me, because he's definitely aware of the damage he causes, but he really doesn't care. I want to study this man like mouse in a maze.
LOS Walter is because, honestly, they sort of just made him this very dead threat cause. The few bits you see of him (the puppet, the painting) show that he's similar but different to LOI Walter, in the sense that he's still a manipulative control freak. I feel like they had potential for him but banished him to the Elisabetha realm of "Very Lore Important but Very Dead". I can't gush about him more because then I enter all my headcanons, which is an unclear can of worms.
I can't actually give a gush about Elisabetha because all she really did was die off screen. I love her though. She did great, even if she didn't do much.
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Post by leonbelmont on Feb 25, 2023 5:02:31 GMT -5
Oh gee, wonder who my favourite is. Soma's quite high up in terms of favourite, but part of that is definitely because he's responsible for me getting into Castlevania, but as a character he's also incredibly interesting. Joachim is such a nice character, even if he's not as well written as some other characters. He knows what he wants, and he levitates with swords. I saw Walter once and I sort of just went "YOU." I definitely enjoy the way he's written; evil for the sake of he was bored and just already like that. He's irredeemable, and that's what I love about him. It's also interesting watching him realise he's not got control and basically having a glorified hissy fit nearer the end. He's easy to find base wants just from his few scenes in the game, and even with LOI's wonderful graphics, you can tell he's the head honcho from how he walks and sounds. The 4Komas definitely made me like him more, but they're less serious. Even then, they show Walter as a control freak. His lack of remorse is also really interesting to me, especially in regards to him letting Rinaldo stay to make the "game" more entertaining for himself. The fact it's a game to him also really fascinates me, because he's definitely aware of the damage he causes, but he really doesn't care. I want to study this man like mouse in a maze. LOS Walter is because, honestly, they sort of just made him this very dead threat cause. The few bits you see of him (the puppet, the painting) show that he's similar but different to LOI Walter, in the sense that he's still a manipulative control freak. I feel like they had potential for him but banished him to the Elisabetha realm of "Very Lore Important but Very Dead". I can't gush about him more because then I enter all my headcanons, which is an unclear can of worms. I can't actually give a gush about Elisabetha because all she really did was die off screen. I love her though. She did great, even if she didn't do much. You are god's strongest soldier in this Castlevania forums. Congrats on the unabashed Walter love! he's definitely a fun villain. The one 4koma where he's cleaning castle before Leon arrives has made me permanently associate him with and also really want to draw him doing the " Get RID of the couches, we can't let Belmont know we SIT!"
I feel you on Elisabetha, too... bears the entire narrative on her shoulders but she is just... dead? Her death sparks the whole game but she doesn't even get to haunt the narrative much... It's so sad and I think she deserves better, because conceptually she is interesting and has potential even if she is always doomed to die.
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richterbelmont
Skeleton
Is this a dream or is it god telling you it's over?
Posts: 113
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Post by richterbelmont on Feb 25, 2023 5:32:00 GMT -5
definitely Richtered, who is the best Belmont because he is the worst one. i really enjoy how even in rondo there is indication that richters troubled by the legacy and his obligatory alleigence to it. ive always liked how richter fought for compassion and community, very earnestly, and how dracula's "do you not have any desires?" speech forces richter's position as a belmont into perspective..
dracula is not wrong that the opposing side is an abusive institution, i think at that point hes aware of its internal flaws (after harmony of dissonance, the dilemma that caused those events) and so dracula now purposefully prods at the surely repressed and confined belmont that comes next.
manipulation is in full force with the dark priest shaft, and he uses richter's fierce emotions the same way the church had been.. when all along richter himself has only ever cared about love (juste and maxim teach this), and that faith in love and humanity was used by the church to indoctrinate him into The Belmont Legacy.
i think it isn't until the end of sotn that it all really collapses on top of richter, the way you can hear such regret and turmoil. i have a whole divergent canon about what happens afterward because it's just such a good character arc that definitely has more to it!! i wont get into why alucard is also a huge favorite but its for VERY similar reasons (and its not a coincidence that it ends with alurichter/alurichternette)
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Post by wygolvillage on Feb 25, 2023 11:05:04 GMT -5
SHANOA absolutely. Her character arc is one of the strongest written, she's a certified weirdo, she's autistic, she's implied to be a lesbian, she's themed around kittycats, she's a more nuanced take on a cult survivor than what the games usually go for, she's the Ultimate Blorbo.
The imagery of being raised to be a weapon, to see yourself as one, and to unsheath weapons from your body is just. clenches fist. There's so much I could say about her narrative and how her arc is how she goes from performing the duty she was raised for -> defining her "self" on her own terms and how that ties into the greater themes of Castlevania as a whole but I think my focus will go elsewhere rn...
I think overall Shanoa is just a really easy character to get attached to- for every badass moment there's another where she's tripping over a conversation or being Strange and Offputting or playing with a cat or describing spoiled milk as "milk you can chew" or making cute drawings and being proud of how they turned out in item descriptions- those silly moments are something that I also really like about Alucard (refusing to eat peanuts unless he catches them in his mouth is still so funny to me)... But I also think this kinda ties into how I see Shanoa as a very compassionate character even if she's without empathy or emotion. She has no incentive to talk with or spend time with the villagers, or help them, but she does anyway. She literally plays hide and seek and tag with a little kid just to make him happy, all while she believes on the inside that her emotionlessness has sort of left her "broken". IDK I think that's what makes her so relatable to me (among other things)
idk shanoa for life babie :)
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Post by Deceit on Feb 25, 2023 11:12:38 GMT -5
generic choice but Alucard Castlevania my beloved <3 I just. love his character arc so much and it's so rewarding to see him finally be happy at the end of Dawn of Sorrow to me at least. literally my favourite character in anything ever. the fictional character of all time. my favourite guy
also I love Soma a lot too!!! hell I named my bird after him lol. definitely the perfect protagonist to close off the timeline <3
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draculaura
Medusa Head
If vampires are oppressed, then why. simon
Posts: 83
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Post by draculaura on Feb 25, 2023 13:29:25 GMT -5
I have a LOT of favorites but can I just say I'M GRANT'S STRONGEST SOLDIER FOREVER
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Post by eclipseoffangs on Feb 25, 2023 14:34:41 GMT -5
GOD its so hard for me to choose but i will always be the sorrow gang’s strongest soldier for life
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arachenerd
Medusa Head
do you think a skeleton could feasibly drink a coca cola
Posts: 38
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Post by arachenerd on Feb 25, 2023 15:53:51 GMT -5
uhhh!! probably death because seeing how each game interprets his role + how they design him makes me super happy. the broad concept is something you can play with until the end of time and i like how a lot of games just make him Uncle Guy or Drac's Bestie. i also cant help but love every game's interpretation of the default skeleton enemy... i guess the stuff i care most about is how enemies get interpreted across games and what sorts of things the developers latch on to. if i am to give an actual character answer it's probably maria or richter, they are so important to me
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trevorbelmont
Medusa Head
saddled with the constant desire to push genya arikado into moving traffic <3
Posts: 45
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Post by trevorbelmont on Feb 28, 2023 17:29:53 GMT -5
i really like trevor, and the rest of the 1470s idiots, theyre probably my absolute favourite cv era
i like leon and juste as well. also soleiyuleil and his dad, theyre funny to me, and i like mr. 'beloved by the night' walter bernhard and i want to study him with a microscope, he intrigues me deeply
i cant tell you what makes me like them so much other than trevor being himself (as is the 1470s crew), leon being hilarious to me and juste being the protagonist of my first castlevania game :) harmony of dissonance sweep
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Post by mahoshojo on Mar 2, 2023 14:32:54 GMT -5
MARIAMostly in Rondo tbh. I like how her design/age and role as almost a magical girl make her feel almost like an anti-CV character, in that she's so different from most other heroes in the series before and after her debut. Her being so young allows for an angle of, like, childhood innocence + optimism or something in the face of fighting Dracula's forces, but also a darker side too in how she's fighting to avenge her murdered parents and obviously that's something no kid should have to go through. It's also cool how she fights using the Four Symbols-- which introduced me to the concept ngl. It's really interesting seeing a character using abilities based on Asian mythology in a series that generally has a more European focus/aesthetic, and it makes sense that this happens in the most "anime" game in the series up to that point (maybe even in general). Her using animals in her fights across the whole series is a nice character detail. When playing Rondo, you can really tell there's a lot of care put into her entire mode: everything from a ton of unique food items to entire unique cutscenes and even little details like her (secret) Stand or sparkles on her double jump. Her relationships with other characters are also pretty intriguing. Ex. her and Richter having a sibling relationship which isn't done much in this series, and the added angle of this being almost a "found family" thing with her being adopted by the Belmonts. Or how her and Alucard seems like it could be a strong/balanced friendship, with stuff like her more lighthearted side contrasting him being stoic/serious and maybe implying her optimism could push him into a greater appreciation of his life and encourage him not to go back into the coffin. There's also how she seemingly got to know Annette while imprisoned in the castle (???), which isn't really explored but is interesting too-- I kinda headcanon they both supported each other a lot during Richter's absence in the year before SOTN. Basically: she's a super fun character and her friends are awesome too. Bonus characters I like: - Alucard because he's beautiful and it's great to see a hero struggle with feelings of depression/inferiority. I like how he has the kind of backstory + family that could easily make someone a villain and yet he actively chooses to stand against that. It's also nice how his immortality is used to make him a constant across the series
- Richter because his relationship with Maria is fun and, more importantly, it's cool to see the pressure/responsibility of being a Belmont taken to a dark place. Even though Alucard is kind of seen as the "tragic" character, by comparison Richter never really gets an onscreen happy ending and his entire story is just really interesting and sad the more you think about it
- Sypha and Yoko because magic users are the coolest and they're pretty unique for coming off in various media as warriors and kind of more cynical female CV characters, which isn't done too much in this series either (too many are just dedwives/trophies and a lot are also just generically optimistic)
- Elizabeth, Graham, Walter: cool villains. Bonus points for Elizabeth for being Alucard's cousin and canonically starting WWI
There are honestly a few more I really like too but this is getting long.
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Post by sayaaensland on Mar 4, 2023 17:36:19 GMT -5
Do I love Nathan, or do I love an OC that I dressed in Nathan's peeled off skin? The world may never know.
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