Imp

An Imp is a demon who loves to make mischief. They usually try to control the hero with their tridents, causing them to pause or move at the Imp's will, doing nothing but attacking or moving in one direction for a period of time. This leaves the hero open to other enemies' attacks or can lead them into traps. The Imp in Castlevania: Circle of the Moon is different, as it is a small land based demon that throws rocks.

Imps are usually a higher rank of Tiny Devils, which instead attack with energy vortexes.

Origins
An imp is a mythological being similar to a fairy or a goblin, frequently described in folklore and superstition.



The Old English noun impa meant a young shoot or scion of a plant or tree, and later came to mean the scion of a noble house, or a child in general. Starting in the 16th century, it was often used in expressions like "imps of serpents", "imp of hell", "imp of the Devil", and so on; and by the 17th century, it came to mean a small demon, a familiar of a witch.

Originating from Germanic folklore, the imp was a small lesser goblin. Imps were often mischievous rather than evil or harmful, and in some regions, they were portrayed as attendants of the gods.

Imps are often shown as small and not very attractive creatures. Their behavior is described as being wild and uncontrollable, much the same as fairies, and in some cultures, they were considered the same beings, both sharing the same sense of free spirit and enjoyment of all things fun. It was later in history that people began to associate fairies with being good and imps with being malicious and evil. However, both creatures were fond of pranks and misleading people. Most of the time, the pranks were harmless fun, but some could be upsetting and harmful, such as switching babies or leading travelers astray in places with which they were not familiar.

Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
Imps in Circle of the Moon are very different as those which have appeared in other games. They are goblin-like creatures, about half the size of a man, and they're not airborne (in fact, they don't even have wings). Instead of attacking with a trident or attempting to take control over Nathan's body, they just pace back and forth, and throwing rocks toward the ground, which then ricochet on any other surfaces it comes in contact with. They can be encountered in the Audience Room, and most prominently in the Underground Gallery. They can drop the Salamander Card, although it's very probable the player already got it at the beginning of the game. However, meeting them can mean good news, as they have a hidden drop: Big Hearts, which they leave quite frequently when slain.

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
More of a nuisance than a real danger. As usual, they fly high above Soma, dodging his attacks every once in a while, and then swooping down to either stab him with their tridents or take control over his body for a brief time. Fortunately, they usually appear in areas where not many enemies or hazards abound. However, there's one particular big room in the Cursed Clock Tower (the one that leads to the Army Jacket) where they can prove to be extremely annoying. This room is overcrowded with Medusa Heads (blue and golden), moving platforms, spikes on the walls, and to worsen things, the floor is flooded. It goes without saying how dangerous is to let oneself get controlled by and Imp here, which almost ensures being petrified by a Gold Medusa, leaving the player at the mercy of all these hindrances.

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Unlike other games, Imps in Portrait of Ruin can be extremely dangerous if the player is not careful. They usually appear in areas with walls, ceilings and floors covered with spikes and crumbling blocks. Letting oneself get controlled by one of these enemies could prove to be fatal. Attacking them with melee weaponry, although feasible, is not recommended due to the small areas provided to maneuver. The Axe sub-weapon works very well against them, but if the player just want to make their life easier, a single cast of Holy Lightning will get rid of all Imps on the screen.

There's a notorious room in the Dark Academy (two rooms left of the second Save Point) with a plethora of Imps. Again, just a single cast of Holy Lightning will take care of all of them.

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
These enemies can prove to be nuisance in this game, since Shanoa's MP drops continuously as the Imp provokes her to attack.

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair
Imps are able to control the player. If another player kills the controlled player, that player will get an achievement.