Werebeasts and Animals

 

I: Mutated Animals

Through heinous experimentations of evil in a Castlevania lab or by the insidious nature of the castle's dark influence, certain mammals and sea life have mutated into human-like forms, more vicious and undaunted than they could ever be in their usual form. For some, advanced fighting skill comes naturally.

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Arachne
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The Arachnes are the two-dimensional answer to Castlevania 64's spider women of the same name. Though logically in possession of advanced speed due to a greater number of limbs, Arachnes prefer to methodically patrol over a marked territory; they'll react to any intrusion in this space by spitting onto the target a mobility-crippling web. Flesh-hungry Arachnes will otherwise expel a poisonous mist.

 Alternate Names/Forms: Spider Woman

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Bat Women
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Bat women are either the wretched result of the demonic breeding of vampire bats and human women or a winged mutation specific to a certain breed of female vampire. There are two known forms: The Werebat, an elusive half-female, half-bat that avoids combat and leaves the assault to its conjured bat friends; and Draculina, a flight-happy vampire who also conjures bats but will otherwise fly overhead and deliver to foes below a two-step mule kick.

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Fishmen and Mermen
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These recurring foes are based on the mutated monster seen in The Creature from the Black Lagoon. As fellow denizens of the deep, they populate rivers and streams inside, beneath, and outside the castle. Fishmen and mermen are known to pop out from their habitat unexpectedly, their movement on land bipedal; after emerging from the deep, they'll spew fireballs, poisonous streams of water, or even deadly mist before retreating back to their habitat. Certain breeds of merman get more physical, throwing punches and diving at their target; their advanced forms can release electrical currents and spit acid.

 Alternate Names/Forms: Electric Merman and Hunter Merman

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Fox Archer
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It's the Castlevania version of Robin Hood, I suppose. These sly foxes will rest in corners and other difficult areas with their bows and arrows ready for bear. When the hero draws near, they'll fire an arrow through the air--where it lands, they do not care. The advanced versions are called Fox Hunters, and they're more efficient than the archers. These cool customers can quickly fire an arrow forward, reach back for another one, and fire again within seconds. Both versions' strength is amplified when paired with other archers or with airborne lesser enemies.

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The Freddie
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This is obviously some sort of take on Freddy Kruger of A Nightmare On Elmstreet fame. These mutated wolverines, with their sharp claws outstretched, move quickly and suddenly lunge forward for an even speedier assault. This makes the other lesser enemies around them, mainly skeletons, more of a threat as a result.

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Giant Bat
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Initially your average tiny, defenseless bats, these giant terrors grew disproportionately as they drank the blood as supplied to them by their new vampire masters. Now dangerous predators, they feed upon the creatures that were once their predators. Giant bats, when grounded, will throw punches and execute charge attacks; from the air, they'll instead unleash a dive-bomb attack.

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Hyena
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Hyenas, mutated carnivorous mammals, are a combination of a Bone Musket and a Fox Archer/Hunter. They'll stay in their crouched position and load up their rifles. When you get close, they'll temporarily change colors to signal a blast. After firing, they must reload, which gives you more than enough time to counterattack.

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Knife Lizard
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These advanced fishmen lie in wait in dank caverns. When you get close, they'll begin jumping to and fro while chucking daggers diagonally downward, two at a time, each at a different range. While the creature may seem intimidating, your best chance for success is to stay close to it.

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Ladycats
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Ladycats are half woman, half monster terrors that toy with their prey with evasive movement, quick dives and finally a lights-out claw-swipe. The advanced form is known simply as "Black Panther" (which speaks little of its actual pedigree), a black female panther who is very much humanoid but like the Ladycat moves evasively on all-fours, setting up its quick dives and claw-swipes.

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Lizard Swordsmen
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These mutated lizards are especially trained in combat with a sword. There are five known forms of them. They are, from left to right:

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Merman Tadpole
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Merman may enjoy hunting those who dare tread near their domain, but some have an ulterior motive. Namely, they have families to feed. After disabling their victims, they toss the live habitants down to their offspring below the surface. These merman tadpoles charge toward their animate prey, ramming them blunt force before frying them using their innate power of electrocution.

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Mothman
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This half man, half moth is a mysterious if not only "rumored" to actually exist. It surely does, and when it makes its presence known after tracking down the strongest of light sources, it will fly around and jump about while dropping down from overhead a poisonous powder.

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Orc
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Orcs are pig-like monsters that operate in packs and attack by firing burning arrows from long distances. There are two advanced forms: First we have the sniper orcs--handpicked individuals who were awarded high ranking due to their superior skills with crossbows; their kind fires three successive shots. And then there are the top-ranked rapid snipers, who employ rapid-firing blowguns that can mow foes down.

 Alternate Names/Forms: Sniper Orc & Rapid Sniper

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Slaughterers
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These boar-like creatures are as bulky as they are nimble. They are described as savage men that kill with their bare hands. That is, they hope around anticipating openings within which to unleash a punch or an uppercut. Otherwise, they can spit large fireballs straight ahead. The stronger versions, known to exhibit exceptional fighting skill, are Hell Boars; this form can instead spit large fireballs in arcs.

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Were-Bear
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As if a regular bears aren't tough enough, these mutated mammals can crush a few skulls. Slow but powerful, they'll lumber in hope of getting close enough to unleash a fierce claw-swipe that'll send you flying far back. If you stay at a distance, you'll have a fighting chance. The stronger versions are mutated polar bears, and, though tougher to defeat, they use the same type of offense. A rare form of were-bear, the abomidable snowman iteself, prefers to avoid any form of combat for the sake of its own "unseen" legend.

 Alternate Names/Forms: Yeti

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Were-Cats
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Were-cats come in two different power levels: The medium-leveled were-panthers and the stronger were-jaguars. As mutated members of the wildcat family, they'll cleverly bounce around in place and, at timed intervals, speedily dash forward with right hooks. Their strength is amplified when grouped together with other lesser enemies.

Alternate Names/Forms: Weretiger

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Were-Horse
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It seems as though there are no animals that Dracula's forces haven't experimented upon. As another mutated were-beast, this sledgehammer-wielding foe will unrelentingly dash forward, crashing said weapon into the ground; every time it does this, debris from the ground will fly forward; you'll have to dodge each piece accordingly before the next barrage comes your way.

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Werewolf
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There are those humans who voluntarily or involuntary shapeshift into werewolves under the influence of a full moon. Werewolves are generally highly athletic and like to pounce on foes with lunges and high jumps; sly and calculated, without conscience, they like to pick apart enemies with a variety of claw-swipes. Too, they are likely to appear in large groups. The Lycanthrope-named assortment function much the same, their "greater," pureblooded variety utilizing midair claw-swipes and slice-backhand combos.

 Alternate Names/Forms: Wolfman, Lesser Lycanthrope, Greater Lycanthrope, Shadow Wolf & Divine Wolf

 

II: Animal Kingdom

The onslaught of evil certainly isn't relegated to the undead. Through their predatory and territorial nature, animals become a natural danger en route to the castle. Birds, lizards and the other wildlife don't have special powers, but their natural abilities are enough for a formidable attack.

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Armored Beast
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The ferocious Armored Beast, another in the Count's long line of half-rotted castle guardians, has equipped on all four limbs steel claws. The considerably large beast will slowly stalk a castle intruder and attack by either kicking its legs or by standing upright before crashing down, its front claws stirring up a deadly sonic blast.

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Behemoth
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This war-ready demon bull has already begun rotting, but it's not ready to leave this plane just yet. Instead, it'll drag its exposed skeletal frame and chase you down slowly, and it'll use its horns to plow down anything--hero or enemy--in its path. It'll eventually do itself in by falling into a pit or by unwittingly ramming itself into a wall.

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Buer
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Buer is a strange five-legged lion. By extending its legs outward in all directions, it can form a large circle and roll. Buer will utilize this ability by rolling across the surfaces and, especially, down the slopes of the maze-like structures of the castle, blocking the way forward and damaging heroes. Stronger versions of this enemy, which are referred to as "cunning demons," are called Bael. The largest of their kind, called "Decarabia," slowly circle watery caverns, clogging up narrow passages; contact with this specimen will result in a poison state.

 Alternate Names/Forms: Bael & Decarabia

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Chronomage
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Chronomage is something you'd expect to see rushing its way through Wonderland. This strange castle habitant will instead play time games with you. Its only purpose is to prevent your entrance into a certain castle area by immediately turning back time upon sight--to force you back one room. Only those who can stop time can eliminate it.

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Dodo Bird
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This odd-looking fowl is perhaps trying to land the top spot in the most-cowardly-Castlevania-enemy-ever category. At the sight of a hero, it'll drop to the ground and immediately retreat in the opposite direction. If it has any special abilities, it probably won't live long enough for you to find out.

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Eagles and Hawks
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These large birds of prey serve one purpose: They fly in from above to serve as transportation for the hunchbacks, fleamen and gremlins, which they'll try to drop onto your head. Later in the series, they lost this job to the Harpies.

Alternate Names/Forms: Altair

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Edimmu
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Edimmu, the spirit of a person who did not receive a proper burial, manifests itself as a snake-like creature and takes to the sea in search of a new host. The poison-inducing creature swims erratically and through its maddening movement effectively safeguarding its vulnerable head. Still, Edimmu can be taken apart, piece by piece, with a well-placed strike proving instantly fatal.

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Ghastly Leech
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While not the most powerful enemy you'll ever face, they're mostly programmed to be a hindrance. Leeches prefer to hang around the swamps and marshland, and they'll gather into marsh pits and lunge themselves high into the air to impede your progress so that you'll sink and burn.

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Hellhounds
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These undead hounds are tasked with guarding the entrances to the underworld. Basic hellhounds gives chase to trespassers and are known to dive at them or scorch their flesh with flaming breath. There are three advanced forms of hellhound: First there are shadow wolves, which can liquefy themselves and thereafter travel along the ground in a pool and suddenly pop up for surprise attacks. Then there are fenrirs--guard dogs of Hell that travel in packs and dive at trespassers with their fangs bared. And finally there are armored sprinters--powered-up wolf-like monsters that wear spiked armor and spew ultrasonic blasts from their mouths.

 Alternate Names/Forms: Shadow Wolf, Fenrir & Armored Sprinter

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Leopards and Panthers
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These members of the cat family are the ideal choice to guard the entranceways to the castle. The sight of intruders will cause them to spring up and give chase, jumping high overhead to misdirect your whip strokes. Advanced forms have the magical ability to turn themselves into sludge, tread along the floor, and reform suddenly.

 Alternate Names/Forms: Black Leopard

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Mad Frog
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You'd be mad if you were mutated, too. These cold-blooded mutants, having reached this state from the castle's dark influence, populate the mud pits of the surrounding marsh land, waiting to dine on any pests that draw near--or, in this case, a hero. They'll dive out from the mud, sometimes with repeated jumps, and lash their poisonous tongues in hopes of filling that need.

 Alternate Names/Forms: Toad

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Moa
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The moa is a long-legged flightless bird whose quick-moving appendages allow it to cover a fair amount of ground in a short period, the means using which it single-mindedly marches forward to accost the hero. When struck, the moa will be sent hurtling back, safe from repeated blows. It regroups by using its noted agility to dive overhead for a more effective attack.

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Mutant Rat
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As are all Castlevania-dwelling vermin, the mutant rat is another creation of the castle's dark influence. This oversized rodent like its smaller cousins is highly aggressive and attacks on sight. When its marked territory is breached, it'll quickly pounce, smothering the hero with its basic movements and its difficult-to-counter high jumps.

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Owl
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It's just your basic nocturnal bird of prey. Owls prefer to stay out of sight, hiding behind trees and bushes while peeking out, waiting for their prey to come hopping along. When something is in their sights, they'll suddenly emerge and swoop down with their claws outstretched.

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Ravens and Crows
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These birds of prey are synonymous with death. They lie in wait atop trees or castle structures; when you come near, they begin swooping about in all directions, parrying at a distance, before darting in your general direction. Birds become more of a nuisance when encountered in large flocks.

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Rycuda
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Rycuda is a monstrous bird that wields lightning. Mainly, like the ravens and crows from games past, it will parry at a distance and fly (or attempt to fly) to out-of-reach places from where it can generate electricity and fire down, diagonally, a highly damaging bolt of lightning.

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Snakes
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These long limbless crawling reptiles are mostly to be found traveling in packs, slowly maneuvering forward, either nested somewhere along the surface or hanging from a ceiling structure. Some packs can drop down single snakes that pile up and crawl along the ground to muddle up a walkway.

 Alternate Names/Forms: Viper Swarm, Snake & Poison Worm

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Vampire Bat
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Bats are the most numerous and enduring foes throughout this series. The normal pattern of these small flying mammals is to fly in from off-screen in a waving flight-path, at timed intervals. Other times, they cling to surfaces and wait for you to come near before lunging in your direction.

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Vulture
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This flesh-eating mutant patrols the air, seeking to land its next meal. Its first instinct is to dart down at its prey, using a hard-to-avoid swoop-attack, and land a surprise blow. Hit or miss, a now-grounded vulture will soon reveal its bipedal form, taking to two legs to continue the assault.

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Warg
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Wargs are large snowy mountain wolves that guard the halls of Castlevania. Intruders will be greeted by sharp-toothed jaws lunging toward them. The stronger versions are called Fire Wargs, and they add the ability to breathe flames. Wargs are sometimes mounted by guardian armor to become Warg Riders.

 Alternate Names/Forms: Fenrir & Ice Warg

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Warthog
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The warthogs' genealogy been kept secret among goblin tribes for centuries; the process entails special breeding and feeding and large helpings of shamanistic magic. Controlled by their goblin masters, warthogs charge toward the riders' targets and ram them with their large horns. Warthogs bereft of goblin control can be mounted and used as transport.

 

III: Sea Life

There's no question that you'll sooner or later have to traverse lakes, rivers or other large pools of water; it's in these dangerous waters where you'll have to storm through the none-too-hospitable sea life. As with regular animals, they'll use their instinctive nature to protect their habitat while looking to make a warm dinner out of you. Some sea creatures have even adapted to life on land.

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Abiondarg
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These slithery eels make a living out of circumventing platforms and castle rooms, much like the brainless Balls of Destruction. The only difference is that these use their natural electrical property, flashing it on and off. Contact with them during an electric flash will cause more damage, especially within water.

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Ball of Destruction
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These brainless urchins spend their short, pointless lives stuck to a surface, which they circle forever. Their spiky exterior will prove harmful, and they're just about invincible to boot--attacking them is pointless. In the end, they serve their purpose well: To slow down your progress and make platform-jumping a nightmare.

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Balloon Pod
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These jellyfish creatures flop around through the air, looking ever so frail. When damaged, they'll break apart and release their many poisonous seeds in either direction. The smaller seeds are otherwise just as harmful as the whole pod. The larger balloon pods always remain stationary as they hover, and they instead break into several smaller balloon pods.

 Alternate Names/Forms: Balloon & Big Balloon

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Dark Octopus
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Attacking in groups, these slow-moving octopi gather up into large gaps to prevent your progression. To fend off the enemy, they spray oil in all directions to further shield themselves. This attack is more prevalent when many of them emit oil at the same time.

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Fish Head
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These are best described as an underwater version of Bone Pillars. Rather than fireballs, each of the scaly fish heads instead spit out rays that cause small sonic waves through the water. These are surprisingly more deadly than their bone-headed counterparts.

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Forneus
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This demonic sea creature comes directly from the oceans of the underworld. Its most notable attribute is its size, which it uses to crowd the immediate area as it floats through the air, its long tentacles flailing about. Because forneus is large in size, it's also a big target, and it isn't much of a threat unless it's paired with a few aggressive minor enemies.

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Gelso
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This bizarre-looking specimen is described as a "rare water-dwelling creature" despite the strong probability that a Dracula-hunting hero will encounter many. Its pedigree is similar to other annoying foes': The erratically moving Gelsos appear one after another and generally distract and clog the area. In areas they infest, the death of one guarantees appearance of another.

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Killer Fish
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These piranha-like voracious creatures patrol small pools of water within the depths of Castlevania. They simply swim back and forth within their habitat--when you enter into their sight, they'll begin propelling themselves short distances to ram you, causing serious damage.

 Alternate Names/Forms: Spearfish

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Lorelai
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Lorelai is a nymph, a seductive Rhine Maiden that uses its voice to lure helpless victims to a watery grave. The part woman, part fish accomplishes its goal by approaching the spellbound sea-traveler and spraying a poisonous mist, the diagnosis for those unprepared a sure death.

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Needles
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Needles are mutated sea urchins that float around the castle's more watery areas, each forming a large, spiky obstacle. Many of them together magnify this enemy type's usefulness by really clogging up the narrow underwater passages.

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Naiad
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Naiads live in murky swamplands, usually passive but lying inconspicuously in wait until an unfortunate victim mistakes their limbs for branches. Once worshiped by humans, the now-impervious aquatic predators are now known for latching onto oblivious wanderers who they attempt to submerge and horribly drown.

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Octo
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These floating cretins behave similarly to the Bloobers from Super Mario Bros. Squid-like in appearance, they use suction to latch onto ceilings and suddenly spring down, whence they begin bobbing through the air. Octos are due to their gel-like composition somewhat resistant and will escape from anything other than a flurry of consecutive whip slashes; direct contact with a specimen will result in the loss of twenty hearts as absorbed by the erratically moving foe.

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Sea Stinger
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The stinger is a swordfish-type sea-dweller that floats along the ocean surface amidst large schools of its peers. This carnivorous and disturbing creature is blessed with a sharp stinger and purpose-like agility, using which it frequently dives out from its watery habitat to snatch delicious prey or, as it may be, the hero foolish enough to move within its path.

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Sky Fish
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A sky fish is an animal that escapes from its natural habitat. It flies through the air so quickly that it's nearly invisible--only a residual flash will be seen. The only way to see such an enemy, no less destroy it, is to find a way to slow down time.

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Spawn of Leviathan
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Many of these giant piranha-like cretins patrol the waters beneath the castle's depths. They won't bother those who stand on solid ground, but they'll instantly kill any hero who falls or dives into their habitat. Spawns of Leviathan are impervious to attacks and better left avoided.

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Water Leaper
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Many water leapers inhabit the watery depths of the castle's courtyard area, and they instantly make swimming a no-no. If you walk on platforms above them, they'll dive out of the water, sometimes in large numbers, to prevent your progression. Once you've been conditioned to this attack, some leapers will instead dive into the air, where they'll hover in place, turn in your direction, and blast forward.

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