Castlevania
Enemy Origins
| Enemy Name: | Skeleton Athlete and Skeleton Medalist |
| Games In: | Castlevania: Circle of the Moon |
| Description: | "The term 'Olympic Games' comes from the city of Olympia, where they were first introduced. The first recorded celebration of the games was in 776 B.C. From that moment on, the games became more important throughout ancient Greece, reaching their zenith in the sixth and fifth centuries BC The games were thus held every four years. Unlike today, there did not exist three distinctions; instead, there was just one winner (this is why there is only one Skeleton medalist in the game). Additionally, the games were more bloody than those held today, and people were often killed during fighting competitions. The games began losing their importance as the Romans gained powers in Greece, and they were completely outlawed when Christianity became the official religion of the Empire. At the end of the 19th century, a French man (Pierre, Baron de Coubertin) decided to recreate the games, and the events were held in Athens in 1896. The second Olympic games took place in Paris. The picture below shows the site of Olympia." |
| Picture(s): |
 |
| References: | perso.wanadoo.fr/deltag/photogrece/olympie.jpg |
| Enemy Name: | Skeleton Rex |
| Games In: | Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia |
| Description: | "Tyrannosaurus Rex was a giant carnivore dinosaur that lived in North America at the very end of the Cretaceous period, between 65 and 68 million years ago. The largest specimen was 12.8 meters long and 4 meters tall; it weighed about 7 tons. Since Tyrannosaurus was for many years known as the biggest carnivore dinosaur, it has been often featured in popular culture." |
| Picture(s): |
 |
| References: | www.search4dinosaurs.com/rm_tyrannosaurus.html |
| Enemy Name: | Skull Millione |
| Games In: | Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow |
| Description: | "Scarmiglione is another demon in Dante's Divine Comedy and a boss in Final Fantasy IV (Final Fantasy II in the west). (See also Cagnazzo and Lubicant.)" |
| Picture(s): |
 |
| References: | www.ffcompendium.com/chara/ |
| Enemy Name: | Slogra |
| Games In: | Super Castlevania IV, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, Castlevania: Curse of Darkness and Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin |
| Description: | "Slogra bears a resemblance to the Coelophysis, a small (that is, about three meters long) carnivorous dinosaur living in North America at the end of the Triassic era. Another source of inspiration, as discovered by reader Ximon Red, could be Max Ernst's painting The Robing of the Bride, which depicts a bird-type creature holding a spear." |
| Picture(s): |
|
| References: | www.cmstudio.com/Coelophysis%20Web%20Layout%201.htm www.abcgallery.com/E/ernst/ernst29.html |
| Enemy Name: | Soma Cruz (as "The Dark Lord") |
| Games In: | Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow |
| Description: | Guest contributor Robert M. gives us some insight: "I'm sure people know that 'Cruz' is Spanish for 'cross.' Well, it turns out that 'soma' is actually Greek for 'body' or 'the body.' It's an interesting choice of name, perhaps relating to the fact that Soma is the 'body'--the host containing Dracula's soul. Make your own inference." |
| Enemy Name: | Spartacus |
| Games In: | Castlevania: Lament of Innocence |
| Description: | "Spartacus was either a captured Thracian soldier or a Roman army deserter. In 73 B.C., he emerged from a gladiator school with between seventy and eighty followers and raised an army said to be composed of seventy thousand escaped slaves. Spartacus' forces defeated many Roman legions, but at the beginning of 71 B.C., his army was isolated and destroyed. Spartacus was killed, but his body was never identified. About six thousand of the captured slaves were crucified, but some five thousand were able to escape capture." |
| Picture(s): |
 |
| References: | www.grudge-match.com/Images/spartacus.gif |
| Enemy Name: | Spearfish |
| Games In: | Castlevania: Circle of the Moon |
| Description: | "The spearfish (xiphias gladius), also known as 'swordfish,' is a big fish with a length up to 4.5 meters and a weight up to 650kg. It's an oceanic species, living worldwide in temperate, tropical and sometimes cold waters; it can be found anywhere from the surface to depths of 650 meters. It feeds mostly on pelagic fish and squid by using its 'sword' to slash larger prey." |
| Picture(s): |
 |
| References: | www.westernangler.com.au/WA_getFishGuide.asp?vArticle=42 |
| Enemy Name: | Spriggan |
| Games In: | Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance |
| Description: | "Spriggans are guardians of hill treasure. Despite their small size, they can be dangerous thieves." |
| Picture(s): |
 |
| References: | homepage.ntlworld.com/p.blackman/biroart/spriggan.jpg |
| Enemy Name: | Stain Glass Knight |
| Games In: | Haunted Castle, Castlevania 64 and Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness |
| Description: | "It was in the movie Young Sherlock Holmes, released in 1985, where we witnessed one of the earliest uses of CGI (computer-generated images). In one scene, such a process brought to life the refraction of light through a stain-glass window to form an ethereal knight." |
| Picture(s): |
 |
| References: | www.moviepoopshoot.com/diatribe/45.html |
| Enemy Name: | Stolas |
| Games In: | Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow and Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow |
| Description: | "A high prince of Hell who commands twenty-six legions. His appearance is that of an owl. He teaches about astronomy, the properties of plants, and the worth of precious stones." |
| Picture(s): |
 |
| References: | www.deliriumsrealm.com/delirium/mythology |
| Enemy Name: | Succubus |
| Games In: | Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, Castlevania: Lament of Innocence and Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow |
| Description: | "Succubuses are demons that originated from Lilith. They steal men's souls while they sleep; though, they are of a more sexual nature than one vampiric. 'Succubus' comes from the Latin 'succuba,' which means 'prostitute.' The male version is the 'Incubus,' which means 'that which lies above.' The picture below was created by artist Boris Vallejo. (See also Lilith.)" |
| Picture(s): |
 |
| References: | www.cit.gu.edu.au/~anthony/graphics/imagick6/montage/BorisVallejo/succubus.jpg |
| Enemy Name: | Sylph |
| Games In: | Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance |
| Description: | "The term 'sylph' is assigned to minor spirits of the air; however, there is no mythos associated with them. " |
| Picture(s): |
 |
| References: | www.worldoffroud.com/fr_global_images/products/sylph.gif |
| Enemy Name: | Talos |
| Games In: | Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance |
| Description: | "Talos was a giant made of bronze. It was created by Zeus in order to protect Crete. Later, Talos was destroyed by the Argonauts. Talos' only weak point was a red vein in his ankle that was covered by a thin skin." |
| Picture(s): |
 |
| References: | www.dvdbeaver.com/film/Reviews/jason.htm |
| Enemy Name: | Thunder Elemental |
| Games In: | Castlevania: Lament of Innocence |
| Description: | "The thunder elemental is one the most recurring invocations in Final Fantasy games. (See also Flame Elemental, Frost Elemental and Leviathan.)" |
| Picture(s): |
 |
| References: | www.angelfire.com/games/finalfantasy8rules/guardianforces.html |
| Enemy Name: | Titans |
| Games In: | Castlevania: Lords of Shadow |
| Description: | "In Greek mythology, the Titans were a race of powerful deities that ruled during the legendary Golden Age. They were overthrown by the Olympians in the Titanomachy (War of the Titans). With the exception of a few, the Titans were imprisoned in Tartarus. In popular culture, various large entities have been named after the Titans, for their titanic size (i.e. RMS Titanic). The picture below shows the titans Cronus and Rhea. (See also Death's Sickle in the Arsenal Origins pages.)" |
| Picture(s): |
 |
| References: | www.crystalinks.com/titans.html |
| Enemy Name: | Treant |
| Games In: | Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow and Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin |
| Description: | "The word 'ent' is Anglo-Saxon and mean 'giants.' Ents were tree-like giants whose purpose was to protect the forests spoken of in Tolkien's literature; they originated shortly after the Elves. By the end of the Third Age, the last of them were found in the Fangorn Forest. They are also called 'Onodrim,' 'Shepherds of the Trees' and 'Enyd.' The trolls were apparently created by Morgoth as imitations of the ents. In fantasy and role-playing games, ents-like creatures are called 'Treant' for copyright reasons. (See also Cave Troll.)" |
| Picture(s): |
 |
| References: | web.mit.edu/kayla/Public/Backgrounds/LOTR%20Ents%201.jpg |
| Enemy Name: | Triton |
| Games In: | Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow |
| Description: | "Triton is a Greek god, a messenger of the deep and the son of Poseidon. His special attributes are his command of a trident and a twisted conch shell that he uses to calm or raise waves. Over time, the name 'Triton' has been assigned to mermen. In France, for example, newts are referred to as 'triton.' The second picture blow shows us the Triturus Vulgaris." |
| Picture(s): |
|
| References: | www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/CGPrograms/Dict/image/Triton.jpg www.hlasek.com/triturus_vulgaris_57.html |
| Enemy Name: | Ukoback |
| Games In: | Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow and Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin |
| Description: | "Ukoback is a demon of an inferior order who maintains the oil in the infernal boilers. His appearance is that of a blazing body." |
| Picture(s): |
 |
| References: | www.deliriumsrealm.com/delirium/mythology |
| Enemy Name: | Valhalla Knight |
| Games In: | Castlevania: Symphony of the Night |
| Description: | "In Nordic mythology, Valhalla 'Hall of the Slain' was Odin's hall; it had five hundred and forty doors, walls made of spears, a roof made of shields, and benches covered with armor. It was in this hall that the Einherjar had to prepare themselves for the Ragnarok. (See also Valkyrie.)" |
| Picture(s): |
 |
| References: | www.die-einherjar.de/kelly/volume1/ken_kelly_marchers_of_valhalla.jpg |
| Enemy Name: | Valkyrie |
| Games In: | Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow and Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow |
| Description: | "In Norse mythology, Valkyries, or Walkyries, are lesser goddesses; they are armed with helmets and spears, and they ride winged horses. Their purpose was to choose the most heroic warriors, those of which who had died in battle (known as Einherjar), and carry them off to Valhalla, where they would train to fight at Odin's side for the Ragnarok. (See also Valhalla Knight.)" |
| Picture(s): |
 |
| References: | www.rpgdreamer.com/vp/valkyrie.html |
| Enemy Name: | Vampire Bat |
| Games In: | It appears in all series' titles |
| Description: | "'Vampire' is the only bat species that feeds on blood. Vampire bats live in Central and South America and may share a common ancestor. There are three species, specifically: The common vampire bat (desmodus rotundus), the only species that may drink human blood; the hairy-legged vampire bat (dyphilla ecaudata); and the white-winged vampire bat (diaemus youngi). Though vampire bats are not able to drink the 'whole' blood of a human, they can be deadly because they are common carriers of the rabies virus." |
| Picture(s): |
 |
| References: | zettesworld.com/hdz04b/images/mammals/vampbat192602.jpg |
| Enemy Name: | Vassago |
| Games In: | Castlevania: Lament of Innocence and Castlevania: Curse of Darkness |
| Description: | "Vassago is a Spirit of a Good Nature that declares things 'Past' and 'to Come'; the picture below shows his seal." |
| Picture(s): |
 |
| References: | www.deliriumsrealm.com/delirium/mythology |
| Enemy Name: | Vice Beetle |
| Games In: | Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin |
| Description: | "Stag Beetles are a group of beetles included in the family Lucanidae. The males are known for their great mandibles, which are used to compete for mates. They grow up to 8 centimeters long. Despite their fearsome appearance, they are not aggressive nor are they dangerous. The picture below shows two males of the most famous species--Lucanus cervus." |
| Picture(s): |
 |
| References: | www.naturfoto-cz.de/fotografie/sevcik/lucanus-cervus.jpg |
| Enemy Name: | Viper Swarm |
| Games In: | Super Castlevania IV |
| Description: | "Viperidae are the most evolved venomous snakes, and they possess the longest fangs--those of Bitis gabonica, which have the greatest reach of five centimeters. The head is short and triangular. Vipers are sometimes divided into two categories: (1) The real vipers, which include Atheris, Bitis, Cerastes, Daboia, Echis, Vipera; these are found in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Crotalinae, a group featuring types like Agkistrodon, Bothrops and Crotalus. (2) Rattle Snakes, Trimeresurus and Sistrurus, which are found in the Americas and South-east Asia. Below, from top to bottom, you can see Agkistrodon taylori (Central America), Atheris chlorechis (Africa), Bitis Arietans (Africa), Bothrops jaracaca (South America), Crotalus durissus (Central America), Trimeresurus albolabris (Southeast Asia) and Vipera aspis (Europe)." |
| Picture(s): |
|
| References: | biology.bangor.ac.uk/~bss166/Updates www.dannesdjur.com/bilder/atheris_chlorechis_1.jpg www.reptilien-center.de/bitis_arietans.htm www.serpentario.edu.uy/images/crotalus_durissus2_big.jpg www.swissherp.org/Reptiles/Viperidae/Vipera/Vipera_aspis_atra.jpg www.uta.edu/faculty/shreyas/trimeresurus%20albolabris.jpg |
| Enemy Name: | Vulture |
| Games In: | Castlevania II: Simon's Quest and Castlevania: Bloodlines |
| Description: | "Vultures are scavenger birds that feed mostly off of carcasses. They are found on almost every continent. The head is bald, devoid of feathers, and this is likely because a feathered head would become splattered with blood and other fluids, which would be difficult to keep clean. Old World vultures belong to the family 'Accipitridae,' with New World vultures and condors belonging to the family 'Cathartidae.' " |
| Picture(s): |
 |
| References: | www.kolkatabirds.com/saldino/swbvulture.jpg |
Page 7: More Enemies | Back to Page 5
