Vampire Killer (music)

Vampire Killer, apart from being the name of a Castlevania game, and of the signature whip, is also the name of a famous theme song of the series.

It was first used in the opening level of the original Castlevania and then in Vampire Killer.

The original track is in D minor, and one loop consists of 16 bars, of which each musical sentence (4 bars) contains two nearly identical phrases of two bars each. There is heavy use of the subtonic (VII chord in minor), and the style is a "generic videogame style" that has its roots in rock music.

The track has been reused the most of any recurring music track in the Castlevania series, surpassing its more popular sibling, Bloody Tears. Some fans consider the correct usage of this track to be for late-game areas of generally higher difficulty, due partly to the usage of the track in Castlevania III, Castlevania IV, and Circle of the Moon.





(Vampire Killer Medley)

Usage

 * Castlevania - First stage music.
 * Vampire Killer - First stage music.
 * Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse - "Deja Vu" (used for the penultimate stage that goes through the entrance hallway of Dracula's castle).
 * Super Castlevania IV - Final stage, first area.
 * Castlevania: Rondo of Blood and Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles - Second stage music. In Dracula X Chronicles, part of the song is played during the remixed boss music, "Tu, Deus Meus".
 * Castlevania: Bloodlines - Bonus song.
 * Castlevania: Dracula X - Second stage, which includes the entrance hallway of Dracula's castle.
 * Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - There are two remixes in the Sega Saturn version of this game (Dracula X: Nocturne in the Moonlight), one labeled "goth/techno" and the other labeled "rock". They are used in areas that are not present in the PlayStation version and in the entrance hallway if playing with Richter or Maria. Vampire Killer is also added into a small part of the ending credits' theme, "Admiration of Clan", along with Bloody Tears.
 * Castlevania: Lament of Innocence - It can be heard in the song "Admiration Towards the Clan" which is used for the ending credits of the game at the 1:35 mark.
 * Castlevania Legends - The beginning of "Vampire Killer" is quoted at the beginning of the final battle theme.
 * Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness - The tune cane be heard in two locations, One is quoted when the player encounters Dracula's coffin on Cornell's quest, and second, the first few tune of the Ghost's ship BGM contains an exerpt of the Song.
 * Castlevania Chronicles - Played in the first stage. There are four different versions of this track, corresponding to four different sound programs used to generate the music.
 * Castlevania: Circle of the Moon - used in the last major castle area to be explored, the Observation Tower.
 * Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance - Music for special Boss Rush mode using Simon Belmont; remixed with Castlevania III's "Clockwork" in the same track.
 * Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow - Plays in the "Hidden Ruins" area, which is styled to look like the first area in the original Castlevania.
 * Castlevania: Resurrection - Among the leaked soundtrack samples from this cancelled game there's a version of "Vampire Killer".
 * Castlevania: Judgment - rock version; Simon Belmont's theme; playing during a fight with or against Simon.
 * Castlevania: Harmony of Despair - Ch10. Origins stage music.
 * Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia - First plays near the end of the track "Ecclesia", and later plays whenever the player uses "Record 1". The Record 1 version is exactly the same as the Vampire Killer song in the original Castlevania.
 * Castlevania: The Arcade - Used in a trailer, in-game, first plays during Death's boss battle, and later during the second battle with Death. Later, a remix of Vampire Killer plays during the second half of Stage 2.
 * Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Played in Stage 3 in Chapter 9, The Music Box.
 * Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 - Revelations (DLC) - Played in the Guest House's stake chamber.
 * Additionally, the track has been used in the following games:


 * Konami Wai Wai World - which will play whenever Simon's in action.
 * Sexy Parodius - The beginning of the Vampire Killer track is used as the opening of Stage 3B's music.
 * Contra: Hard Corps - The sound test contains a track known as "Simon 1994RD", which is a fast-paced remix of "Vampire Killer". In-game, it plays during the secret boss fight against a Simon Belmont-like cyborg, and during a hidden joke ending.
 * Dance Dance Revolution Universe - Contains a Jazzy version called "Castlevania Freestylin Mix"
 * Pyū to Fuku! Jaguar: Byō to Deru! Megane-kun - Contains a Dracula's Castle level song loosely based on Vampire Killer.
 * GuitarFreaks & DrumMania V6 - Contains a rock version of the song
 * SOUNDVOLTEX - "Vampire Killer scar-ed Pf rmx" sample (Youtube)

Finally, Castlevania: The Adventure contains a track called "Darkness" and used in the stage with the moving spike walls which is harmonically, rhythmically, and structurally very similar to "Vampire Killer".