Harpy

The Harpy is a bird creature which has the torso of a woman and is the most common type of bird people in the Castlevania series. First appearing in Haunted Castle, the Harpy has made herself known for being a quick and tough enemy to beat (and harder in numbers). She replaced the Eagle in her console debut in Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, where she would drop Gremlins/Ghoul Rabbits. In later games, she appears holding a dagger in her talons and start attacking by throwing it at the player. In Legacy of Darkness, she can grasp onto the heroes with her claws and drop them from great heights.

Origins


In Greek mythology, harpies would steal food from their victims while they were eating, and also carry evildoers (especially those who have killed their families) to the Erinyes. They seem originally to have been wind spirits. Their name means "snatchers".

punished King Phineus from Thrace for revealing the god's secret plan by using the gift of prophecy, which was given to him by Zeus himself. Phineus was blinded and put on an island with a buffet of food which he could never eat because harpies always arrived to steal it out of his hands before he could satisfy his hunger. This continued until the arrival of and the. The succeeded in driving off the harpies, but without killing any of them, following a request from Iris. The harpies returned to their cave in Minoan Crete.

In this form, they were agents of punishment who abducted people and tortured them on their way to. They were vicious, cruel and violent, and lived on the islands of the Strophades.

Haunted Castle
First appearance of harpies in a Castlevania title and also one of the strangest. Near the middle part of the first floor of the Banquet Room, after evading the first falling chandelier, a dimensional portal will open before Simon, transporting him to what seems to be the ruins of a Greek city. Three harpies will ambush him and swoop down to attack. Once all three have been defeated, another portal will open to return Simon to the castle.

One last harpy appears at the end of the Vampire's Room level, after successfully crossing the crumbling bridge and just before the battle with Dracula.

Castlevania: Bloodlines
Harpies are the first enemies encountered at the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Unlike in previous incarnations, in this game they resemble birds more than women. Their plumage is dark green and their heads appear to be covered in feathers in a hood-like fashion. Some of them will appear holding a polearm in their talons and attack by swooping at the player. After being damaged a couple of times, their heads may be cut off while blood keeps sprouting out from their necks; this won't stop them, however, and they'll still attack with the same ferocity until defeated.

Castlevania: Rondo of Blood
The Harpy's design from Rondo of Blood would become a staple for future releases, as the same in-game sprite (or some variations of it) were used in subsequent titles. Harpies appear in the Clocktower and this time they start the fight by throwing the dagger they're holding in their talons, then they'll swoop at the player or throw a barrage of razor-sharp feathers from their wings. Harpies also swoop in and carry the player, inflicting damage as well. Their hair is green colored now and their plumage is yellow (which could change to orange in later titles).

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
Gaining control of a harpy's soul will grant Soma the Wing Cutter ability, where he'll be able to shoot two razor-like feathers at once, one to the left and one to the right.

Castlevania: Curse of Darkness
Harpies are usually paired with Iron Gladiators or other large monsters like a Cyclops or a Red Ogre. They attack in a few ways:
 * Swooping down and slashing at Hector with their feet.
 * Picking him up and carrying him around for a moment while they're constantly inflicting damage with their talons.
 * Firing a blue energy ball.

To steal from them, the player must allow to be carried by a harpy and attempt to steal as soon as she lets him go. The window of opportunity for stealing is very small, however, and many attempts may be required. Since attacks from other surrounding enemies may hinder the process, it's recommended to dispatch of all opposition and leave a single harpy to steal from.

Castlevania: The Arcade
The Harpy is the boss of the Lookout Tower.

Trivia

 * The Harpy is the only female monster encountered in Curse of Darkness.