Vampire Killer Whip

This is the standard leather whip. Its range is short and its power is weak, but this is only a temporary dilemma. Morning Star symbols hold the power to transform it into a chain whip and beyond. Certain Belmont heroes have been known to use a flailing "brandish" technique, which can be done with not just this but any of their respective whip forms.

Thorn Whip

This is the next-most-powerful form that a Belmont can wield without the collection of a Morning Star symbol. Essentially an elongated leather whip, this form is adorned with several thorns, some of which it can spew; it's thus a bit stronger than the normal leather form. Only Simon Belmont and Nathan Graves have used this particular whip type.

Chain Whip

Enhancing a leather or thorn transforms the Vampire Killer into a short-ranged chain whip. Its strength is consistent with its next-most-powerful form, making it a fine alternative to the leather whip yet still a holdover; that is, it's short length makes it not an ideal weapon when fighting ranged enemies, nor does said length afford enough reaction time to act against projectiles.

Morning Star Whip

The symbol's namesake, the Morning Star whip, (or "long chain whip") is mighty and has great range. Armed with this beast, a hero can fend off enemy projectiles from a safe distance while even directly assaulting the spew-happy foes, who may now be within strikable distance. Essentially, it allows for a hero to hang back rather than take the fight up-close.

Fireball Whip

The whip, itself, is no more powerful than the Morning Star, nor does it approach the ferocity of the strongest whip-type; however, it has the added benefit of spewing fireballs, which travel the length of the screen for a long-range assault. The fireballs don't quite match the whip's actual strength and are more leather-whip-level, but they're still a desirable side effect. Among those to wield it: Christopher, Sonia and Juste.

Flame Whip

Only potent magic has the propensity to afford the Vampire Killer the opportunity to experience its most powerful incarnation. When harnessed, the whip will become a fiery mass--transformed into the all-powerful flame whip. Enemies will be quickly massacred as their very flesh and visages are burned by holy power. Simon, Richter, Nathan Graves, Reinhardt Schneider and John Morris are known to have used this weapon.

Short Daggers / Knives

Short knives and daggers aren't the ideal stabbing weapons, but they're good for getting in-close and scoring multiple hits on soon-stunned enemies. Their most famous user is Grant Danasty; with his freak speed, he can quickly stab at foes, striking multiple times before they can react, and then retreat before suffering any retaliation.

Short Swords

Short Swords are more proficient than daggers, and they're excellent for dealing with smaller, flightier enemies like bats and ghost; therein, they're good "self-defense weapons." Reinhardt Schneider, primarily a whip-user, has used a short sword, as has Henry Oldrey--a suited knight who utilized a similar type of sword for in-close combat as complement to his pistol. Alucard, too, is skilled with a variety of short swords, as are most modern-game heroes.

Long Swords

Too, those same modern-game (post-Symphony) heroes expand their respective arsenals to include longer swords, like rapiers, cutlasses, scimitars, and those holy and elemental-based (firebrand, icebrand). It was Alucard who introduced to us most of these weapons as well as the idea of an expansive inventory. Maxim, Shanoa, Jonathan Morris and Soma Cruz are examples of those who are from this graduated class. Even the earlier Simon Belmont, in his Haunted Castle endeavor, sometimes used a forged blade in place of his whip.

Spears

Sharp-headed and thrusting-based stabbing weapons are also en vogue to inventory based heroes. Spears are a good choice for those who like to attack from and keep enemies at a distance; though, they often entail recovery time, which makes most spear-wielding heroes a little slow on the draw. Alucard, in canon, was not only our first spear-user--it was he who forged the Alucard Spear, which was handed down to Eric Lecarde, our most famous subject. Eric based his whole fighting style around this weapon: He could use it to stab in multiple directions; vault himself upward--to hard-to-reach-platforms--as a makeshift super jump; and twirl it from left to right with ease. Too, he could harness magical coat-of-arm symbols to power-up the spear, first increasing its length then transforming it into a destructive trident.

Fireballs / Ball of Destruction

When you think "spewing fireballs," it natural for images of, say, Count Dracula and his three-directional assaults to pop into your head. Though, even some of our heroes have utilized weapons whose auxiliary functions eject flames and fiery projectiles. Our most conventional fireball-using hero is again Alucard, who in his earlier, more inexperienced appearances depended mainly on his hereditary fireball attack; though he could initially fire only one, he was able to grow stronger by picking up Morning Star symbols, which as enchanted allowed him to spew a two- then three-directional fireball (Contra-like) spreadshot. Originally called "The Ball of Destruction," it has since become known as the Hellfire spell.

Homing Ball

Some inventory-based weapons indeed feature primary or secondary heat-seeking abilities, but none quite match up to Carrie Fernandez' homing ball. That is, Carrie can channel energy then fire from her hands a ball of light that targets the nearest enemy; it can be charged--for a stronger blast and increased homing power--and released even while Carrie is in full motion. She can use the classic Morning Star symbols to power it up two levels of strength.

Energy Scythe

Fellow N64 hero Cornell also utilizes a projectile attack. By channeling his inner strength, he can reach back and use the speedy ferocity of his claws to unleash a glowing energy scythe. While more a product of wind resistance, itself, the very sharpness of the blast is deadly to any of the poor saps in its path. Though they lack homing ability, the scythes can be powered up two levels of strength through the procuring of the Morning Star symbols.

Charge Ball

Maria's play experience in Nocturne In the Moonlight is wholly different from her unlockable Rondo endeavor. Rather than her usual bird friends, an older Maria prefers as a main attack her magical ability to shoot fireballs from her fingertips. If the attack button is held, she can charge up the fireball three levels, each represented by a color. For blue, she simply fires a larger fireball. For yellow, she fires a larger but slower energy sphere. And for red, she releases an expanding beam with accompanying electric bolts for repeated damage.

Handguns

Maybe it's that the Belmonts and their friends consider themselves "more civilized," but they've preferred to avoid ordnance-based weapons in favor of the more couth "cutting things in half." A few heroes disagreed, biting the bullet, so to speak. Henry Oldrey, for instance, kept handy a six-shot pistol, whose ammo could be boosted two power-levels through the enhancement of Morning Star symbols. Though an excellent long-range weapon, there is a drawback: The pistol must be reloaded after six shots, leaving the user vulnerable Nathan Graves also utilizes a handgun as one of his DSS card powers; his limitation is instead the magic points used to power it.

Magic Pistols

Not among conventional firearms, some handguns and pistols employ magic as their currency. The most famous example is Agartha, which is the main weapon of unlockable hero Albus. Powered by his own will, Agartha can be fired repeatedly and as long as his magic meter will hold out; too, he can exhaust a greater amount of magic to release the special Optical Shot, which consists of two large, cycling energy waves.

Advanced Rifles

As much as we would have liked for the Castlevania series to remain steeped in the mysterious middle-age and medieval periods, it was inevitable that its real-estate included the future. As such, it's expected that our heroes put to use "advanced" weapons against technologically superior opponents. Soma Cruz is our pioneer in this instance; one of his "Soul" abilities allows him to harness a Positron Rifle, which fires a long laser filled with "positive electrons."

Shurikens

A shuriken can be any small, multi-pronged weapon quickly tossed at enemies who might not see its concealed blades coming. Alucard and Jonathan Morris can be said to have used shurikens. The most notable shuriken-user, though, is Maxim Kischine, the series' only trained ninja; in addition to his sword, Maxim relies on a large shuriken as a sort-of sub-weapon. When Maxim releases the shuriken, it travels half the screen's length, arcing upward through the air and back like a boomerang. Due to its large size, it can damage/eliminate several enemies at once; of small cost is the five hearts used to power each toss.

Birds

Leave it to Maria to convince her animal friends to act as blunt throwing objects. In this case, a young Maria tosses out two small doves, one after the other, at short range; either bird can strike multiple times, together their hit-potential exponential. Too, their very flight pattern serves not only as useful offense but as a nice short-range shield against projectiles. Gaiden hero Desmond Belmont somehow "borrowed" her bird attack a secondary sub-weapon.

Axes

Already a highly effective sub-weapon, some heroes prefer to use axes instead as a prominent "special" attack. Soma Cruz, as depicted, could throw axes if in possession of an Axe Armor soul. Shanoa, too, could arc three different kinds of axes thanks to her "Glyph" ability. In his Vampire Killer appearance, Simon could use a boomerang-like axe as a whip substitute (if he could continue catching it on its returns).

Daggers

Daggers, too, went from being a forgettable sub-weapon to a somewhat useful special weapon. Shanoa and Soma Cruz are two such believers, the non-Belmont heroes throwing knives/daggers as afforded by their respective "systems." Simon Belmont in Vampire Killer, again, can utilize a dagger as a whip replacement; while weak, they can be thrown in endless streams. In the Japanese version of Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, Grant Danasty instead uses a throwing dagger as his main weapon rather than a short stabbing-dagger.

Boomerangs

The world's most identifiable throwing weapon might be the boomerang. In addition to the sub-weapon of the same class (presented as more as "cross" in all such titles except Bloodlines), boomerangs have been exploited as special weapons by such heroes as Shanoa and Jonathan Morris. Completing his own personal trifecta, Simon Belmont in Vampire Killer could use a boomerang-like cross as his main weapon in place of the whip; as in the case of his throwing axe, his continued use of the weapon depends on his catching it on its return.

Hammers

Such hammers are larger versions of the everyday household items; warriors of all type have harnessed these bludgeoning hammers in their rampages. Giant hammers are known for their long range and high-impact, crushing striking power, but they're also understood to be unwieldy and slow in motion. It's up to a given hero to weigh the positive destructive power against the negative mobility issues. Hammer-users include Hector (who could forge such power tools), Shanoa, Nathan Graves (via the DDS card system), and Soma Cruz.

Clubs

Barbarians and knights, among which the Belmonts can be grouped, enjoy the use of clubs, which include metal- and wooden-forged sticks often adorned with spiked balls. Among their users are Hector, who could forge such craft; Alucard; Jonathan Morris; and Soma Cruz. Simon Belmont in Haunted Castle could use a mace as a stronger weapon in place of the whip.

Staffs

Staffs are a source of wizards' and magic users' magical power, but they also serve well as clubbing weapons. Sypha Belnades, for instance, could quickly swat at enemies with her staff should her more useful magic ability currently be drained. Staffs can be used for quick strikes, but they're particularly weak and purely secondary. Her descendant, Yoko Belnades, used the same staff type with a special quirk: Each time it strikes an enemy, Yoko saps a bit of energy from the subject and uses it to replenish her own.

Axes

These heavy-edged weapons are known for their sharp, deadly blades and many sinister forms, which include hatchets, single- and double- headed axes, mauls, wedges, and sickles. Too, they come in long or short lengths for whatever style or range a fighting hero prefers. Hector could craft his own armament, while Shanoa, Jonathan Morris, and Soma Cruz could put to use those procured during their adventures. Also, unlockable Portrait hero Old Axe Armor used as his weapon the bludgeoning Voulge.

Fists and Claws

For those who choose to forgo swordplay and the like, fisticuffs are the next best option. Modern-game heroes who find themselves without weapon are likely to use their fists to pummel foes; fellows like Hector, Alucard, Jonathan Morris, and Soma Cruz can acquire fist-based items (like brass knuckles and claw attachments) and adopt a more quick-hitting style of offense. The man-beast Cornell needs no such equipment; he can instead use his naturally tempered fingernails to rip enemies to shreds using overhead swipes.

Rings

The same crew might be tempted to experiment with bladed ring-based weapons, as does the young Carrie Fernandez, who uses steel-bladed rings to unleash a dual high-low slashing attack; too, while running, she'll spin through the air, executing a deadly dive that slices up and eliminate enemy clusters. Finally, she can slide along the ground and extend the blades outward, cutting off enemies at the knees. It's a fine complement to her homing ball.

Martial Arts

The heroes' hand-to-hand combat abilities, which are often unheralded, expand into martial arts. Indeed, those who can double jump (like Alucard, Jonathan Morris, Julius Belmont and Soma Cruz) are likely to throw a mean jump kick. Hector, a most highly skilled fighter, can pull off any number of fighting moves and combos. Even Albus, who prefers firearms, can execute an impressive spinkick via Quadrouple Ignis

Bows and Arrows

A classic weapon perhaps underutilized is the bow and arrow, which is great for extended long-range attacks if not very accurate. It's true that heroes like Alucard and Soma Cruz are sometimes assisted by bow-wielding helpers (the former via Sword of Dawn summons, the latter using an Amalaric Sniper soul), but only Shanoa has operated a few actual bow-and-arrow types via her Glyph ability (even if the weapon only hovers directly in front and she doesn't physically touch it).

Books

Why, books are only for reading, right? I mean, if they were actually used for such a purpose, people might actually learn and not have use for weapons! "Screw that," we say--it's better to instead use books to exact deadly paper cuts. Heroes like Richter, Alucard and Juste have already done this with the Holy Book sub-weapon, but Charlotte takes it to the next level, using books to wallop foes; her encyclopedia set includes those that release deadly weapons and others that heal.