Leather Whip

The Leather Whip found is Castlevania is most likely a Bullwhip. A bullwhip is a single-tailed whip, usually made of braided leather, which was originally used as a farmer's tool for working with livestock.

Bullwhips are agricultural tools, traditionally used to control livestock in open country. A bullwhip's length, flexibility, and tapered design allows it to be thrown in such a way that, towards the end of the throw, part of the whip exceeds the speed of sound - thereby creating a small sonic boom. Many modern "sport" whip crackers claim that the bullwhip was rarely, if ever, used to strike cattle, but this is a matter for debate.

The origins of the bullwhip are also a matter for debate and, given the perishable nature of leather, are likely to remain so. Difficulties in tracing its development also arise from regional and national variations in nomenclature. There are claims that it was developed in South America, or arrived there from Spain, but Roman mosaics[1] and earthenware[2] dating to around the second and third century A.D. show what appear to be tapered drop-lash whips, rather than the two-piece whips often associated with the Romans and other ancient cultures. Given that the same basic design appears in several primary sources, it seems likely that this is not a stylistic coincidence but a depiction of a design of whip in current use at the time the articles were made.

During the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, as rural economies became increasingly mechanised, demand for all types of whips diminished. By the middle of the 20th Century, bullwhip making was a dying craft, with only a few craftsmen left making good quality whips.

In the latter half of the 20th Century, attempts to preserve traditional crafts, along with a resurgence of interest in Western performance arts and the release of films such as Raiders of the Lost Ark (in which the hero, Indiana Jones, uses a bullwhip as a tool), led to an increased interest in whip cracking as a hobby and performance art, as well as a competitive sport. Whip cracking competitions focus on the completion of complex multiple cracking routines and precise target work; although it should be noted that other whips, apart from bullwhips, are also used in such competitions.

The bullwhip is still used for herding cattle in countries such as the United States, South America, Australia. But in countries such as the UK, where other types of whips were historically used in agriculture and transport, modern public perception of the bullwhip most commonly focuses on its links with BDSM. The growth of whip cracking as a leisure activity, coupled with increasing demand from the BDSM community for high quality whips that are easy to use for long periods of time, has enabled a new generation of whip makers to become established, producing whips that move away from the traditional heavy bullwhip towards lighter, high quality whips that can be used for long periods with great accuracy and without causing undue fatigue. Such whips have become popular in the sport whip cracking world, enabling participants to push the limits of complexity in their routines and enabling increasing numbers of women and younger people to take up whip cracking as a hobby.

Whereas, in times past, the bullwhip was designed for a single specific purpose, modern whip makers design their whips for different purposes and to suit different throwing styles. A few whip makers will refuse to sell bullwhips for specific usage, such as for BDSM, or as weapons. Regardless of their intended end use, all bullwhips have certain common features.

Leather Whip in Castlevania
The Leather Whip is generally the weakest kind of Whip that hero wields. In most of the early games, including Castlevania I, Vampire Killer, Castlevania Adventure, Dracula's Curse, Castlevania Adventure, Belmont's Revenge, Super Castlevania IV, Legends, Castlevania 64, and Legacy of Darkness, the Vampire Killer whip that the hero inherited starts out as a leather whip and then gradually evolves into a more powerfull whip as he collects power up items. In most of these games, the whip is not actually called a leather whip by name, but it is clearly made of leather. In other games, including Simon's Quest and Portrait of Ruin, the Leather whip is a distinct whip from the Vampire Killer and is later replaced as the player finds more powerfull whips.

Appearance in Castlevania I
Simon Belmont starts each life with his Vampire Killer (called the "Magic Whip" in the US manual) in its normal Leather Whip form. Upon obtaining a Morning Star item from a candle or enemy, this weapon will evolve into a Chain Whip (doubling its strength), which can later evolve into a Long Chain (increasing its length).

Appearance in Vampire Killer
Simon Belmont starts each life with his Vampire Killer in its normal Leather Whip form. The whip is considerably shorter and faster in this game than it is in the original Castlevania I. Upon obtaining a Morning Star item from a candle or enemy, this weapon will evolve into a Chain Whip, which increases the strength, but not the length of the whip. It cannot evolve a second time after that.

Appearance in Simon's Quest
Simon starts the game equipped with a Leather Whip. He can then replace the whip by purchasing more powerful whips in the game. It is not clear if Simon is actually buying a new more powerful whip or if he is buying an item necessary to evolve his Vampire Killer whip to the next form. The language of the shopkeepers argues for the former, but from a storyline point of view, it is unlikely Simon would use a whip other than the Vampire Killer. The next whip that Simon obtains is the Thorn Whip. Unlike in previous games, the strength or form of his whip does not downgrade after he loses a life.

Appearance in Castlevania Adventure
As in most early Castlevania games, Christopher Belmont starts out with his Vampire Killer (called a "Mystic Whip" in the English manual) in its Leather Whip form. It can evolve into what is presumed to be a Chain Whip when a Crystal is found and can further upgrade to a fireball flinging Fire Whip. Unlike other games, the whip is demoted back to its normal leather whip form after suffering a hit by any creature.

Appearance in Dracula's Curse
The Vampire Killer whip (called a Mystic Whip in the US manual) that Trevor uses starts out in a Leather Whip form and is identical to the one that his ancestor Simon uses in the first Castlevania game. It evolves into a Chain Whip upon obtaining a Morning Star and can be further evolved into a Morning Star Whip.

Appearance in Super Castlevania IV
The Vampire Killer whip (called a Mystic Whip in the US manual) is a suped up version of the whip that he wielded in Castlevania I. Like in that game, it evolves into a Short Chain Whip upon collection of a Morning Star, and can further evolve into a Long Chain Whip. Its abilities are much greater in this game though, as it can be used to whip straight up, up and forward, or straight down or down and forwards while jumping. Simon can latch the whip to certain items and swing from them. Another ability is the ability to hold it limply, waving it around a little and let approaching enemies collide with it. The straight upwards ability of this whip did not appear in any further game as all other games use the "up + attack" button combo to perform a subweapon attack. The forwards/upwards attack as well as the latching move returned in Bloodlines. Leon Belmont could also perform the swinging move in 3d in Lament of Innocence. The forwards/downwards-while-jumping move returned in Castlevania Chronicles and Jonathan Morris could gain that attack in Portrait of Ruin. The limp whip ability made a return in Harmony of Dissonance and has been featured in every new game made since.

Appearance in Belmont's Revenge
The whip in Belmont's Revenge is identical to that in Castlevania Adventure, except that only a hit by a (Punaguchi) can demote an evolved whip back to its leather whip form.

Appearance in Chronicles
The Vampire Killer whip in this game is similar to the one Simon wields in the game that this is a remake of, Castlevania I. Simon starts each life with the Vampire Killer whip in its Leather Whip form. It evolves into a Chain Whip upon obtaining a Chain Whip Power Up, where it can be further evolved into a Morning Star. The special moves it had in Super Castlevania IV are all gone except for the ability to whip forwards/downwards while jumping forwards.

Appearance in Bloodlines
The Vampire Killer whip starts out as a leather whip as in most games. As usual, it evolves into a Chain Whip with a power up. What is unusual is that it can also be evolved twice after that, first as a Morning Star, then as a Fire Whip, which has unusual properties. John can whip diagonally forwards/upwards and can be used in this manner to swing from any ceiling (not just special fixtures as in Super Castlevania IV).

Appearance in Legends
The Vampire Killer whip that Sonia wields behaves identical to the one that Christopher Belmont used in Belmont's Revenge, except that it never downgrades for any reason. It starts out as a Leather Whip and evolves into a Chain Whip and then a Fire Whip when a Crystal is encountered. If the game is played in Light Mode, Sonia starts out with her whip already completely powered up.

Appearance in Castlevania 64
Reinhardt's Vampire Killer Whip (called the Holy Whip in the US version) whip is attacks in a straight line ahead of him or towards a target locked enemy. It can be powered up twice with a Power Up, but its actual form does not change in this game.

Appearance in Legacy of Darkness
Reinhardt's Vampire Killer Whip (called the Holy Whip in the US version) whip is in this game is similar to the one he used in Castlevania 64. The major difference is that the whip's form physically changes when it powers up, first to a Chain Whip and then to a Laser Whip.