Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

- Time Period: 1797
- Main Hero: Alucard
- Antagonist: Shaft, Count Dracula

Rondo's follow-up, the series first 32-bit entry, is a true classic, which can be said of the PlayStation original and its Saturn port. Both versions share the same story and play-style, but the Saturn's features non-canon events where Alucard must instead fight for Maria's trust.

Four years after Dracula's latest defeat, another devious plan was set in motion. The spell cast upon Richter by the thought-dead Shaft began to take effect, slowly driving the young Belmont mad. Without explanation, he one day disappeared, not a trace of him to be found. Within one year's time, it became clear that Richter would not be returning--at least not on his own power. Maria Renard, fearing the worst, set out to look for him. It was then that fate intervened: Castlevania suddenly materialized from out of the mist as if to show her the way. Meanwhile, powerful forces were struggling for the soul of Alucard, the at-rest half-breed; sensing that the balance was threatened due to Richter's absence, that the scales were weighing too far in evil's favor, these unknown forces raised Alucard from his slumber, tasking him with the investiation of these matters. It was only a matter of time before the castle beckoned him, too.

Alucard infiltrated the castle and defeated any foe in his path, determined to quickly solve this mystery. His immediate path was impeded by Death, who was aware of Alucard's rising and warned the half-breed not to continue his quest; he then threw a wrench into Alucard's operation by using dark magic to rob him of his feared arsenal, setting him back considerably. Driven by more than just an important assignment, the resilient Alucard continued on, undeterred.

He eventually reached the Marble Gallery, where he had an unexpected encounter with Maria Renard, who was taken by her new quiet friend; after some hesitancy, he explained to her the logistics behind the castle's reappearance and why its appearance had changed since her last visit. The two agreed to go their separate ways and exchange information when available. Continuing on toward the heart of the chaotic estate, Alucard found a throne room where he met a man who claimed to be "the ruler of this castle." Due to his past association with the family, specifically Trevor Belmont, Alucard was sure that it was Belmont blood in his presence. After defeating the man's personal guardians, he met up with Maria and relayed to her these happenings; while she initially refused to believe it, Maria later conceded that it could be Richter. However, she insisted that if it were true, it had to be because he was under someone or something's control. To be sure, Maria, who now came to trust the brooding half-breed, handed Alucard a special pair of glasses that would allow for its wearer to see beyond the visible plane.

Alucard took her advice and headed toward the dreaded castle keep. There, he ran into what he now knew was Richter Belmont. Richter explained to him: "Count Dracula rises but once every century, and my time is over. But if I could resurrect him, then the battle will last for eternity!" Thereafter, he challenged Alucard to a contest and before a response could be uttered immediately, fiercely, began to attack using his legendary powers. While Alucard was shocked by the Belmont's words and actions, he quickly slipped on the glasses and found his answer: Richter was indeed under the control of an unknown presence, which hovered over him like a dark green cloud. Alucard avoided striking Richter and took the brunt of his attack while remaining focused on the hovering sphere. He attacked the sphere diligently until it faded away, whence the real perpetrator of the entire plot, the revived dark priest Shaft, finally revealed himself.

It was revealed, too, that the spell placed upon Richter had allowed Shaft to control his very actions, a coup that allowed the dark priest to coax Richter to the side of evil--this so that no other vampire hunter would ever be a threat to either he or Count Dracula. With Richter, the greatest threat, eliminated and furthermore aiding them, instead, the dark forces would have been unstoppable, Shaft thought. Though the plot had failed, Shaft was well prepared and thus had another backup plan; using his dark magic, he disappeared from sight and from a safe distance created a perfect replica of Castlevania except completely upside-down! He then escaped to this inverted castle where he would focus on his real, more important goal: To resurrect Count Dracula once again. Richter came to his senses and recognized Alucard as the hero who had fought beside his ancestor Trevor. But there was no time for small talk--Alucard strongly urged Maria to usher the dazed Richter out of the castle and to safety. It was his business, Alucard felt, to warp to the second castle and deal with the imminent threat.

Alucard faced more intense challenges in the upside-down haunt, but he by sheer force of will worked his way to the reverse Marble Gallery, where Shaft was about to complete his ritual. After a short but intense battle, Alucard succeeded in eliminating the still-defiant Shaft. While not entirely a useless gesture, Shaft's final boast was correct--it was too late, the incantation complete; Count Dracula was once again ready to return to this world. The reunion between father and son was anything but pleasant: Dracula was very displeased that his son was still siding with the humans, especially after they had killed his mother without provocation hundreds of years earlier. The mind games were futile, and Alucard knew that his father could not be allowed to roam free among the living. A grueling struggle followed, and in the end, the embattled Alucard was the victor, having overcome his father's onslaught using a power Dracula could never understand: Love, shown for both his human friends and certainly mother, Lisa. Alucard had parting words for his father, a message from his mother that he had promised to deliver: "She said to tell you that she would love you for all eternity..."

"Forgive me, Lisa," Dracula muttered in solace before being painfully ushered back to his underworld resting place.

Alucard escaped from the castle and arrived at seaside, where Maria and Richter were waiting. The two consoled Alucard knowing that the encounter with his father, as expected, was one defined by anguish. Before doing what he had always done--submerge his powers to remove from the Earth his own cursed bloodline--he offered them words of encouragement and some advice. Though she wished him well in an understated manner, Maria cared more deeply for Alucard than she had let on, which Richter could easily sense. "Don't you want to go after him?" Richter inquired as Alucard fled the scene. When she confessed yes, that she could not live without him, it was Richter's words that gave her the courage to do just that. "Go after him, then," he said. "Perhaps you can save his haunted soul."

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