While the Belmonts have had a strong supporting cast of spirit helpers and trusty companions, Dracula has shown to have any even stronger following--he has relied on his wicked allies to resurrect him time and time again and to prepare his undead army for the impending return. There were those who had a hand in helping to plant the seeds of the war even before Dracula came to power. Others have acted as the proverbial cog in the wheel, playing a small role in helping the Dark Lord gain an advantage over his mortal enemies. Below are the vile and wicked beings who have pledged undying devotion to evil, especially to Count Dracula and the will to precipitate his rising. For more-exclusive ally members, mainly minor players, please click the "Supporting Cast" links on each of the game pages.

	Death

		Death is always a boss that guards the games' later stages, usually that before Dracula's. You're likely to run into this fallen angel in a dungeon or dreary cavern
All but three series titles

In the earliest noted history, Death was an ally to Walter Bernhard in his quest to collect the three sacred stones that would allow for alchemy's goal of eternal life. In a double-handed turn, he instead revealed that he was only using Walter for his own gain, to collect the stones for other sinister means; in reality, his real allegiance was to Mathias Cronqvist, for whom he collected the Crimson Stone, which was deemed the most powerful of the three. In Walter, Death had immediate accessibility to another, the Ebony Stone, and, later, to Walter's spirit after his eventual defeat at the hands of Leon Belmont. Death offered both commodities to Mathias to aid his wish to become Lord of the Vampires. In the centuries following, Death continued to act as direct lieutentant to Count Dracula, a name Mathias earned in reaction to his misdeeds. The Grim Reaper was number two in command, Dracula's right-hand man and his guardian of choice--you could say that the two were best buddies. It was with Death that Dracula entrusted his kindred spirit because the fallen angel was the only being with the knowledge of what measures to take to properly raise it from its slumber when enough of its power had been regenerated. As such, those who wished to resurrect Dracula would more than likely look to Death for assistance. In the meantime, Death would gather together the dark forces in preparation for their master's rising. Because of his close relationship with the Count, it's always fair to expect that the Grim Reaper will serve as the last line of defense, the only barrier standing between the heroes and the Dark Lord. With his sickle in hand and the propensity for conjuring swarms of scythes and random demons, Death looks to make what's left of a hero's life a nightmare. It's true, then, what they say about the dark angel: "As the bringer of death, he and Dracula are natural allies."

	Walter Bernhard

		He appears after the five guardians are defeated. He can then be found in the castle keep for the second-to-last battle
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence

Walter Bernhard was a vampire doomed to a lonely eternity, like all others of his kind. Still, Walter had a strong ambition: There were three sacred stones which when brought together would allow for alchemy's goal: They would grant to their holder eternal youth. With eternity already at his behest, only two of the stones held any real value to him: The Ebony Stone, which could potentially consume the Earth in eternal darkness, and the Crimson Stone, a source of unspeakable power. Eventually, he located the Ebony Stone, with help from his new ally Death, and used its then-limited power to engulf the forest in darkness. These conditions ideal, he made residence within the forest's mysterious castle. Eternal life had become boring during those years, so the vampire decided that he needed some entertainment. Walter, arrogantly, began goading vampire hunters to his castle by stealing away their possessions, a game he would play to lure them into a duel they could not win. To make the game more fun, he even allowed Rinaldo Gandolfi, a noted alchemist and a pawn in this game, to reside in the forest to assist the hunters with his goods. Walter's most famous stunt came at the expense of Leon Belmont: He kidnapped Leon's betrothed, Sara, to force another confrontation. Walter made sure to infect her with his curse before releasing her back into Leon's arms, but he didn't expect that this act would backfire, that the Vampire Killer whip would be created thanks in part to her infection and her will to prevent others from suffering the same cursed fate. He learned this lesson well when Leon struck him down with the newly created weapon. And then Walter discovered one more cold truth--that Death had no further use for him; Death took the Ebony Stone and presented it to his real ally, Mathias Cronqvist, and then for good measuer extracted Walter's spirit into the stone to ensure Mathias' goal to become the King of the Night.

	Mathias Cronqvist

Castlevania: Lament of Innocence

He appears after Walter's defeat to reveal his intentions. (Initially, his shadow is seen after Leon defeats Joachim)

Mathias was a genius tactician and Leon Belmont's most trusted friend. Together, they formed an invincible company. One day, upon returning from another victorious campaign, Mathias was sadly greeted with news that his wife, Elisabetha, had died suddenly. He became stricken with grief and eventually bedridden.

The sickly Mathias also had some grave news of his own: He informed Leon that his betrothed, Sara Trantoul, had been kidnapped by the vampire Walter Bernhard and taken to a castle within the Forest of Eternal Darkness. How Mathias came to have this knowledge was a mystery.

Once Leon destroyed Walter and witnessed the double-cross that saw the vampire's spirit extracted into the Ebony Stone, he was shocked to see Mathias appear before him; he was even more shocked to learn that the whole event was one giant ruse, a genius plot to use many different parties to achieve his goal.

Mathias had abandoned humanity because he blamed God for Elisabetha's death. Her death was devastating, he felt, because he always fought in God's name and prayed for Elisabetha's safety. So after collecting the Crimson Stone, he made a pact with Death; he manufactured a battle between Walter and Leon, which he knew Leon would win through determination; and he used Rinaldo and Sara's emotions as a catalyst.

When Mathias came to possess the Ebony Stone--which was afforded Walter's vampire spirit, which he coveted--his goal was realized, and he now had unprecedented power. He expected his friend to understand his mindset: He tried to convince Leon that their plights were the same, in that they both lost their companions unfairly; he felt that they should join together and share in eternity. When the offer was refused, a disappointed Mathias left his friend behind to tangle with Death. Having transformed into a bat, he flew off to a location where he would continue to curse God for eternity. He would over the coming centuries put into effect a plan to eridcate humans from the face of the Earth, a murderous campaign that would earn him the name Count Dracula. (And like Darth Vader ceased to be Anakin Skywalker upon his descent into darkness, Mathias became a new threat, which you can read about here.)

	Isaac

		Isaac is a persistent storyline instigator. He appears for an early boss battle in the Cordova Town and then as the second-to-last boss in Dracula's Castle
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness

Isaac was a devil forgemaster who with Hector served alongside Count Dracula. Convinced that Dracula's defeat of Trevor Belmont was due to Hector's betrayal, Isaac plotted revenge: Using his clout, he was able to orchestrate a sham trial against Hector's wife, Rosaly, who was falsely accused of witchcraft. She was for her "crimes" burned at the stake, an act that devastated Hector, who had only wanted to live in peace. But Isaac's plan was not without a second part: He would use this event to lure Hector back to Valachia, where he would force his former friend to once again embrace the dark power of devil forgery. His plan was grander than anyone would suspect.

Isaac waited at an abandoned castle for Hector to arrive. Hector burst through the castle entrance with only a thirst for vengeance. "You couldn't even protect your own wife," Isaac taunted, knowing that Hector had not the power to endure a battle. He wanted to wait, instead, for Hector to fully regain his power so that a true battle of revenge could be fought--revenge for Hector's betrayal. He would deprive Hector of his presence, but not before inviting him to reclaim his powers and give chase.

Isaac waged his first assault when Hector tracked him down at the town of Cordova. It was still too soon, Isaac declared, so this would be but a test battle to see how much power Hector had regained. Before an advantage could be levied either way, Julia interrupted their battle and gave Isaac, her brother, a chance to warp away and thus further frustrate Hector. Isaac was under Dracula's curse, Julia was aware, but she knew that he had to be destroyed, and she trusted with the task only Hector.

Deep within the Aiolon Ruins, Hector arrived to find Trevor and Isaac locked in battle. Isaac was not without skill, Trevor admitted. Isaac responded without credit; he declared Trevor's victory over Dracula a "fluke." But when he spotted Hector at the corridor's entrance, the outnumbered Isaac quickly made good his escape. It was the tailing Zead who appeared and tipped Hector off as to Isaac's base of operation--a secret chamber beneath the abandoned castle.

Hector raced to the castle's chamber only to find that Trevor, too, was on the trail. Using his blood, he opened for Hector a portal to an infinite corridor, where Isaac was hiding; he would stay behind and stand guard. Hector made his way to the corridor's end and defeated its guardian, Dullahan, which caused the castle to shake and rumble. More dire: The energy channeled by Hector's battle with Dullahan was enough to raise from the depths Dracula's castle! Isaac took advantage of the chaos; he sneaked up from behind and stabbed Trevor through the heart--another revenge act. Everything had gone according to his design: Isaac had regained his power, Trevor Belmont was dead (he thought), and the means for a Dracula resurrection was now available.

Hector reached Castlevania's keep, where Isaac stood ready. Hector fell into his plot, Isaac revealed. His former friend would now have to suffer a gruesome death for his betrayal, which cost Isaac his home and his pride; furthermore, the fully powered Hector would be the required suitor for a returning Count Dracula. A battle commenced, and Hector finally gained an advantage; as he went in for the kill, he was stifled by an image of Julia, which brought him to his senses and helped him to resist the murderous impulse brought upon by the curse. Though, this moment of wavering was all that was needed for Zead to show up and reveal his true form--the real craftsman behind an even more impalpable plot. All Isaac could do was watch on helplessly as he, as the defeated party, instead became the harbinger, the direct vessel for Count Dracula's return. Isaac had seen his final moments.

Zead's plot would fail miserably, and Dracula's banishment would leave behind only Isaac's used corpse. Hector finally realized that his friend's actions were very much caused by Dracula's curse, so he could for that be forgiven. His sister, Julia, would be deeply saddened, but she knew that in death he'd be free of the curse.

	Zead

		Zead makes several storyline appearances in areas including the Abandoned Castle and the Mortvia Aqueduct before appearing as a boss in Dracula's Castle
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness

Zead was a man who sought to abolish the curse that was afflicting Europe following Dracula's demise at the hands of Trevor Belmont. He knew that only by Isaac's defeat could the curse be lifted. He knew of many things regarding the curse, actually, and the events surrounding it. But was this knowledge for his benefit or for the sake of Hector, who he would supply with constant information?

He first met with Hector at the abandoned castle. He watched on as Hector used his power of devil forgery to free from a tombstone a fairy type innocent devil; he was impressed with the man's power. He revealed to Hector that his purpose was to purify the land and free it from the curse; he also revealed that it was Isaac, the largest impediment, who was the key to the curse, and he would help by supplying to Hector directions as to the evil forgemaster's whereabouts. Hector was thankful for the advice.

It was at the Mortvia Aqueduct where the two again met. Zead was pleased to see him, for he had important information: He saw Isaac heading toward a village in the forest. Also, his research bore a new finding, and it was worse than Zead originally thought: Isaac was the direct source of the curse. Moments later, Zead began to hesitate and stumble about, tripping over his words; he made a quick exit much to the confusion of Hector. Saint Germain would appear soon after, hoping to find an expected guest. Hector could see no connection.

Germain eventually caught up with his "guest," Zead, in the Forest of Jigramunt. Zead warned Germain not to go beyond his bounds--that it was a matter of fate. It was ludicrous to lend information to an outsider, Zead lectured, but he made no direct reference as to whom it was. Zead couldn't have Germain interfering any longer, so he extended from his arm a blade and began to attack. Germain used his power of time to evade each stab attempt. "I will keep returning," he before departing promised a flustered Zead. "No one escapes from me," Zead thought to himself with a wily grin. Unbeknownst to either man, Hector had arrived and was from afar observing their conversation. Now Hector knew for sure that these were indeed enemies. Later, after a test battle with Hector atop the Eneomaos Machine Tower, Germain finally agreed to no longer interfere; though, he wanted for Hector to give to Zead his regards.

When in the Aiolon Ruins, Isaac escaped defeat thanks to Hector's "meddling," as Trevor labeled it. Zead, too, was disappointed with this missed opportunity. But he had the answer: He had discovered Isaac's base of operations in a secret chamber beneath the abandoned castle. Hector relayed Germain's regards, which caused Zead to again fumble about. "No--it can't be," he said before storming off.

Fate's course eventually lead Hector to a freshly re-risen Castlevania, where he would stand victorious after a final battle with Isaac, whose plan to resurrect Dracula was seemingly coming to a head. Hector went in for the kill, but thanks to a soothing vision of Julia, Hector was able to resist the murderous impulse and thus the curse. Zead showed up once again, applauding Hector's efforts; his actions were a boon, and his moment of wavering was all that was needed to bring the curse to a head for its ultimate purpose--to again raise Count Dracula from the abyss. Zead was behind the whole plot, and even Isaac was blind to it. He used Hector, and more so his anger, because only a forgemaster could be the vessel for a reawakening. By tricking him into regaining his power and slaying Isaac, it would have been enough; when Hector rejected the curse, though, he became useless to the cause. For Zead, however, there was a solution: He'd use the incapacitated Isaac instead!

Zead then made one final revelation: He was indeed Death in disguise. With a flick of a blade, the transformation was complete, and he transported both he and Hector to an unholy battlefield. Though, Death had created a monster that even he could not tame. He succeeded in his plan to raise Dracula, true--but he would not be around to see the matter's conclusion.

	Rohan Krause

		Krause is the game's mentioned-in-exposition main antagonist who finally shows up as a boss at the end of the game's fourth area, the Inner Sanctum
Castlevania: Order of Shadows

Rohan Krause's history is sketchy, but it's clear by his actions that his motivations are anything but reactionary and perhaps best described as pure evil or the wonting of chaos. What would have been his original claim to fame is that Krause was responsible for the deaths of the parents of Belmonts Desmond, Zoe and Dolores--this if not for the matter of such a truth being kept from the siblings in the hope that they would never base their future actions on the mindlessness that is revenge.

What they were told, of less consequence, is that Krause was simply the arch-nemesis of their father. He was in reality, though, more than just a killer, his actions consistent with the groupthink of a more problematic group; he was, that is, an unwavering disciple of the Dark Lord, himself. In the years following his murder of the as-of-yet unnamed Belmonts, Krause started a group called "The Order," which as constituted was an organization of wicked men and women who sought to strengthen themselves by aligning with the dark spirits, their ultimate goal to raise Count Dracula from the underworld in the hope that he would grant them greater power and eternal life.

After investigating the matter and revealing the true link between The Order and the free-roaming spirits of Dracula's army, Desmond, Zoe and Dolores set out to locate the missing Vampire Killer whip, to confront Krause (who unbeknownst to them had stolen the famed family artifact upon killing their parents), and to prevent the resurrection of the Dark Lord.

While scouring the Order's Mansion, a makeshift version of Castlevania, the trio discovered evidence that Krause was behind the murder of their parents--mainly that the Vampire Killer was in his possession; after deciphering the castle's interconnected nature, which allowed them to locate Krause's inner sanctum, the sisters headed back to the village and would leave the confrontation in Desmond's capable hands.

When they finally met, Krause was certain that the Belmont had only come all this way for him--for revenge, he thought. "No--not for you," Desmond assured the callous instigator. "Only for the job." When the considerably powerful Krause was defeated, he proclaimed confidently that it was too late, that Dracula had already been revived and could never be stopped. Krause didn't survive long enough to know the futility of his words.

	Shaft

Dracula X: Rondo of Blood		Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Shaft hides out on on Stage 6, and he assaults the hero again at the end of Stage 7, in ghost form		He appears after Alucard destroys the green orb hovering above Richter; he then appears for a final boss-fight

The dark priest Shaft was another in a long line of deviants who wished to use black magic in order to raise Dracula from his slumber and procure assistance from the Dark Lord in conquering all of Europe and, inevitably, the world. The difference between Shaft and all of the others is that the dark priest had the power to do it not once but twice. In his first attempt, Shaft gathered together the forces of darkness for a ritual necessary to resurrect Count Dracula. He did this with every intention of acting as a general, a subservient to Dracula's every whim. In contributing to this cause, Shaft occupied the castle's gallery as a guardian; after his defeat, his ghostly yet still considerable essence acted as the last line of defense in the clock tower. Due to Richter Belmont's efforts, this campaign was unsuccessful. Shaft somehow survived. Five years later, after replenishing his strength, he began a new mission with three objectives: (1) To raise Castlevania from the depths. (2) To coax Richter Belmont to the side of evil using a spell, thus removing him as a threat. And (3) to eventually raise Count Dracula from the underworld yet again. When Alucard returned to this world to to solve the mystery, he was able to break Shaft's control over Richter thanks to the advice of Maria Renard, who saw beyond the facade. The dark priest thought quickly and magically created a floating upside-down version of Castlevania to which he could escape and buy more time for the execution of objective three. In the upside-down castle's gallery, Shaft was defeated by Alucard but was successful in his final goal regardless. Though, he didn't live long enough to see the conclusion of the Alucard-Dracula confrontation that was to follow. Had he lived, through any means, he wouldn't have been happy with the result.

	Camilla

Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest		Dracula X: Rondo of Blood
She controls Vampira, boss of Laruba Mansion		She rides atop the skull as part of the boss fights on both Stage 4s

Castlevania: Circle of the Moon

She appears in the intro scene and in the Underground Waterway as a boss

The vampire countess Camilla has long since been a worshipper of Count Dracula and a proud member of his dark army. Camilla, who was born in Styria, was famous for her seemingly impossible propensity to retain her youth and beauty. Her devious exploits, therein, eventually led to the citizens of Romania naming after her one of their grave sites: Camilla Cemetery. In her more uneventful series appearances, she acted as a boss in Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest (as the floating "Vampira" mask, or, at least, as its controller) and as the noted Skull Sorceress (the female occupant riding the actual skull) in Dracula X: Rondo of Blood. In 1830, Camilla was somehow resurrected, allowed to return to this world in her classic form. Such a doomed soul immediately longed for leadership; more specifically, she was intent on raising Count Dracula from his slumber. In the Ceremonial Room of the ancient Castlevania, she held an equally ancient ritual that brought about his return. Because the Dark Lord was in such a weakened state, she knew that it was her job to protect him until he was able to regain full power. When Nathan Graves and friends arrived, she did her best to impede their progress by attacking Nathan in the castle's underground reservoir. To Nathan she explained her twisted viewpoint--that she saw things from an alternate perspective wherein darkness is a human's only true attribute, the true emotion of which they only pretend to be devoid; she felt that humans would be better served to instead embrace darkness in all its splendor. Much to her displeasure, Nathan was not at all accepting of her views and introduced the fair Camilla to the paradise known as oblivion.

	Ortega

		Ortega is the one chasing the town woman in the game's intro scene; he pops up on two other stages to antagonize Cornell; lastly, he shows up as the boss of Cornell's mission on Stage 12, the clock tower
Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness

Ortega was a member of the ancient order of the man-beasts. He and Cornell were good friends and were generally recognized as the two most powerful of their kind. Their relationship was severed when the insecure Ortega lost a friendly battle for superiority amongst the man-beasts. There was more to the spurning on of Ortega's resentment: Cornell held a unique power in that he was the only member of the man-beasts, ever, to be able to assume beast form, at will, by breaking the ancient seal--a seal that had been created by the order when they sought to live peacefully amongst the humans. Ortega had always been jealous of that power, but he never expressed the feeling. Despite keeping his humble demeanor, Ortega never got over the loss; in fact, he trained harder than ever with the belief that he would one day defeat Cornell in a rematch, transformation power or not. Unfortunately, he was thrown over the edge when his hatred began clouding his better judgment. He did the unspeakable by aiding Death, Gilles De Rais and Actrise in their mission to resurrect the Count: He assisted their cause by helping to burn down Cornell's town; by kidnapping Cornell's stepsister, Ada; and by delivering her to the trio. When Cornell set out to look for Ada in the castle, Ortega intervened to make his intent known. During Cornell's quest, he continued to make his former friend's life miserable with repeated interference. Eventually, they battled atop one of the castle's towers, where Ortega revealed that Dracula had afforded him the power to break the seal in his own way; he transformed into a deadly Chimera and attacked Cornell. Even in a more powerful state, he still couldn't defeat his former friend. Before his end, Ortega admitted his regret over burning down the village and inconveniencing its habitants, but he was not sorry for the result, which was the rematch he craved; he needed to prove to himself that Cornell wasn't the cool and overconfident opponent that he last fought. Realizing that his friend was more powerful than for what credit he'd given him, he had finally come to understand and respect his friend's strength.

	Malus

Castlevania 64		Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness
He's playing the violin in the game's intro scene; he's found hiding in the hedge maze on Stage 3, the Villa; he shows up again on Stage 5 for a quick exchange; lastly, he shows up on the final stage, revealing himself as Dracula for a final battle		He's playing the violin in the game's intro scene; he's found hiding in the hedge maze on Stage 3, the Villa; he shows up again on Stage 5 for a quick exchange; lastly, he shows up on the final stage, revealing himself as Dracula for a final battle

When Cornell saved Ada from Dracula's grasp, wherein he sacrificed his wolf form as her replacement, he couldn't have known what Death and Actrise were planning. The trio had every intention of reviving their fallen leader, and Cornell's wolf form was an even greater power source than Ada could ever be. The trio offered this sacrifice so that Dracula could be reborn. And soon after, a boy named Malus was born into this world. The youth grew to be quite the violinist and lived inconspicuously among the citizens of Wallachia.

Reinhardt Schneider (or Carrie Fernandez, depending on whose story you prefer) met the blue-eyed Malus in Castlevania's Villa hedge maze, where he was hiding from the Frankenstein Gardener and the hellhounds that patrolled the area. Malus explained that his family had been "killed" by evil forces, and he ran away from home in order to avoid orphan-hood. Reinhardt brought the boy to safety and requested that he return home.

Malus had no plans on complying: He returned to the castle, much to Reinhardt's chagrin, and waited for the hero in the castle center's nitro containment room. From there on, Malus' actions became more and more suspicious. Finally, after Reinhardt defeated "Dracula," the truth would be revealed. As Reinhardt struggled to escape the crumbling castle, Malus rode in on a winged unicorn and led him to the safety of a steady castle tower.

Malus admitted that he was indeed Count Dracula reborn, this to the disbelief of Reinhardt. The transformation thereafter was enough to convince Reinhardt, who fought bravely and brought Dracula to his knees. Cagily, Dracula went back into his bag of tricks and retook his Malus form, almost convincing Reinhardt that, all along, it was simply "a boy who was possessed by the Count." Charlie Vincent, with his exploding vials of holy water in hand, arrived just in time to reveal to Reinhardt that the boy actually was Dracula. With his plan of deception thwarted, Dracula gave up on the charade and instead waged one last battle in his true form.

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