Nathan is a product of Konami's director-to-director trademark swapping and thus, in explainable story terms, the splintering within the Belmont family tree. Still, he has relevance in regard to Richter's placement as the "last Belmont," which was in reality a long down period where the family was seemingly absent. In reality, there was an unknown quirk existing when dealing with the relationship between the Belmonts and the Vampire Killer, which the they were forbidden to command directly until the time of the natural cycle--the period where Dracula was risen from his slumber according to the 100-year rule. In the Belmonts' forced absence, they left with blood-related family members the weapons for safekeeping should deviants try to resurrect Dracula before the predicted date. The firsts of the blood-related families to take on this task were presumably the Baldwins and Graves, who while not direct in line were of comparable power.

In 1820, members of the Graves and Baldwin factions, led by Morris Baldwin, teamed up to accost and destroy a risen-out-of-cycle Count Dracula. After the painstaking battle concluded, the concerned Morris, having tested a sample of Dracula's true potential, took under his wing his son, Hugh, and Hugh's childhood friend Nathan Graves, and he urgently trained them in hope that they would succeed in becoming worthy of the Vampire Hunter title, that they would be more than ready to battle Dracula should he rise again and realize the potential Morris had feared. (Also, someone had to be ready in case said rising took place before the Belmonts were ready to reclaim their weapons.)

The two youths served well their master and proved themselves worthy. Though, it was perceived as a shocking twist when the elder Morris decided that it was Nathan who receive the title of Vampire Hunter, as the next in the line of warriors, rather than his son, Hugh, who was clearly the superior of the two in terms of fighting skill. Nathan would vindicate Morris, whose vision was in question: When Dracula was indeed resurrected early by Camilla in 1830, it was Nathan who braved the dreaded Castlevania to defeat and thus rescue a hate-consumed, possessed Hugh, to save his kidnapped master, and to defeat Count Dracula. He proved true Morris' decision-making ability, earned the respect of the envious Hugh, and thus created a greater camaraderie between the three. Nathan was able to accomplish his mission by utilizing the DSS Card System, which was similar to the Belmonts' (or Juste's, more specifically) "Spell Fusion" and item-crash abilities, and many of the family's special fighting maneuvers, which include those both character-specific and now-mandatory: The slide, the break dash, and the super jump.

To see Nathan in action, click here.