Castlevania (series)/References


 * Note: Fan references should be added at the Castlevania Fan Wiki.

Since the first title, released in 1986, the Castlevania series has been referenced in many forms of media, including video games, literature, music and TV series.

Card games

 * Yu-Gi-Oh!
 * Yu-Gi-Oh! - Vampire Hunter - 01.png card named [[w:c:yugioh:Vampire Hunter|Vampire Hunter]] depicts a man wielding a whip. Since Yu-Gi-Oh! is also property of Konami, it is probable this character was designed with a generic design of a member of the Belmont clan. Furthermore, the original Japanese name of this card is Vanpaia Kirā (Vampire Killer).

Video games

 * 3D Dot Game Heroes
 * This game references many video games with its loading screens. The original Castlevania is referenced in this way.
 * Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!!
 * Before Finn and Jake fight Marceline the Vampire Queen, she quotes Dracula's infamous line from Symphony of the Night: "Enough talk... Have at you!"
 * Soon after that, Jake calls the trash on the ground a "miserable little pile of trash", again referencing Dracula's original speech to Richter: "A miserable little pile of secrets."
 * Barnyard Blast: Swine of the Night
 * The entire game seems to be a Castlevania tribute or parody. The protagonist is called Robert Belmart.
 * Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon
 * The entire game is modeled after elements from classic Castlevania games such as Dracula's Curse and Rondo of Blood. These similarities include visual style, gameplay and much more.
 * Bunny Must Die: Chelsea and the Seven Devils
 * Vladmu.png fourth boss, Baron Vladmu, is a Dracula spoof that teleports in a similar manner and shoots fireballs from his crotch after opening his cape. In addition, the player can obtain weapons by breaking candles and a character called "Selena" throws scythes at the player just before they battle Vladmu, like Death guards Dracula.
 * Contra: Hard Corps
 * The game features a miniboss called Simondo Belmont, who looks and behaves similar to Simon Belmont.
 * The theme "SIMON 1994RD", played in the background, is a remix of Vampire Killer.
 * Dead Cells
 * A weapon appears in the game called "Valmont's Whip".
 * Dragon's Crown
 * Dragon's Crown - Vampire Hunter - 01.jpg. ]]As a reward for finishing a quest in the Castle of the Dead (which seems to be a reference in itself), the game rewards the player with a picture titled "Vampire Hunter", which seems to be a reference to Alucard or the Castlevania'' series in general.
 * Dust: An Elysian Tail
 * An item in this game, called the "Mysterious Wall Chicken", can be found by destroying certain walls in a nod to how similar items are often found in the Castlevania series hidden behind breakable walls.
 * An item in this game, the Red Orb, is a direct reference to the Red Crystal in Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. The reference goes as far as having the same use: the orb must be taken to the topmost part of a cliff (itself being a reference to Deborah Cliff) in Blackmoor Mountains, and kneel and wait for a whirlwind spirit to carry the player to a secret area.
 * Etrian Odyssey: Nexus
 * Etrian Odyssey Nexus - 01.jpg''. ]]This dungeon crawler game features a new class called "Servant of Darkness" which bares a striking resemblance to Alucard.
 * Final Fantasy XV
 * In the DLC story Episode Ardyn, when the main character, Ardyn Izunia, is ambushed by the Royal Guards of Lucis, the memory of his brother Somnus Lucis Caelum taunts him by saying "mankind ill needs a savior such as you", which had been Richter Belmont's retort to Dracula in the initial English localization for the prologue of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Coincidentally, Ardyn had a similar backstory and to a certain extent characterization to Dracula, being a former human who had become an immortal demon and tried to doom the world out of spite for loved ones being brutally murdered (Aera in the case of Ardyn, Elisabetha and Lisa in the case of Dracula regarding lost loves, as well as Somnus in the case of Ardyn and witch trials in the case of Dracula regarding how they were murdered), even going as far as to have a name change afterward (Dracula originally being known as Mathias Cronqvist and Ardyn Izunia originally being known as Ardyn Lucis Caelum). Both were even willing to turn against their duties to their deities to enact their revenge due to blaming the deities in part for their misfortune (the Celestials in the case of Ardyn, especially in the ending of Episode Ardyn, and God in the case of Mathias/Dracula). Both even opposed a family line dedicated to stopping them (Lucis Caelum line in the case of Ardyn, the Belmonts in Dracula's case).
 * Ardyn belonging to the same family line as that of Lucis Caelum also resembled Dracula's Lords of Shadow counterpart.
 * Guacamelee!
 * A mosaic of Simon Belmont fighting a skeleton can be found in the Temple of War.
 * Hollow Knight
 * The boss Grimm resembles Dracula in both attack patterns and appearance. He is able to summon fireballs from his cape as well as spawn flame pillars form the ground.
 * The official Nintendo UK page for this game has a section titled "Symphony of the Knight".
 * Jeanne d'Arc
 * Near the end of the game, when facing the main antagonist, Jeanne says: "Die, monster! You don't belong in this world!", referencing Richter Belmont's encounter with Dracula at the beginning of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
 * JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle
 * The character Jonathan Joestar can taunt by exclaiming "Your words are as empty as your soul!"
 * Mega Man X: Command Mission
 * The character Zero has a transformation called "Absolute Zero" in the game that has a strong resemblance to some of Dracula's true forms in various games. Coincidentally, Zero's Japanese voice actor, Ryōtarō Okiayu, also voiced Alucard, who had some similarities to each other in terms of overall demeanor, as well as being tied to the main antagonists (Alucard being the son of Dracula, while Zero was the ultimate and final creation of Dr. Wily).
 * Metal Gear Solid
 * MantisDigsVania.jpgg the battle against Psycho Mantis, he will display his mental powers by reading the system's memory card. If he finds a Symphony of the Night file data, he will say: "You like Castlevania, don't you?"
 * Noitu Love 2
 * This indie game features two characters named O2-JOY and his servant the Grin Reaper, whose design is based on both Dracula and Death. Their stage is also a tribute to various Castlevania games.
 * Otomedius Excellent
 * Otomedius Excellent features a Belmont character playable in this game; her name is Kokoro Belmont and she is the actual guardian of the Belmont Clan in 2011.
 * Robotrek
 * Robotrek - 01.jpg vampire character in the Super NES role-playing game Robotrek (Enix, 1994) is called "Count John Paul Belmont Prinky".


 * Rock of Ages
 * Rock of Ages - 01.png. ]]The Wallachia stage features the famous Castlevania'' entrance bridge, an unnamed Belmont-like character, and a bat-transforming Vlad Ţepeş.
 * Saints Row 2
 * In Krunch 106.66, when someone calls in to request The Black Dahlia Murder's "What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse", she reveals that her name is "Belmont", referencing Simon's Quest, from where the song's title was inspired.
 * Scribblenauts
 * Alucard can be summoned to protect Maxwell in the Japanese version of the game.
 * Skullgirls
 * The character Double quotes Dracula multiple times; "What is a man?" and "A miserable little pile of secrets" included.
 * The main antagonist and boss, Marie, may be a nod to Persephone, being that she is dressed in maid's attire and is in possession of a demonic vacuum.
 * Suikoden
 * A vampire antagonist character called Neclord appears in the two fantasy role-playing games Suikoden and Suikoden II (also by Konami) for the PlayStation. While never officially stated, it is widely believed that he is based on Dracula, the main antagonist of the Castlevania series.
 * Super Bomberman R
 * Three playable characters in this game are direct references to Castlevania: Belmont Bomber, Dracula Bomber and Alucard Bomber.


 * Super Meat Boy
 * Super Meat Boy.jpg"Chapter 2: The Hospital" starts out with a short intro in which Dr. Fetus flies into the night with Bandage Girl outside the gates of the hospital, which resembles Dracula's Castle. Meat Boy looks upward while a theme very similar to Prologue plays. This is a reference to the intro from [[Castlevania (video game)|Castlevania]] for the NES.


 * Super Smash Bros. Ultimate


 * Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters
 * Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Tournament Fighters - 01.png Wing Nut's profile screen, on his "Favorite Activities" section it reads he likes "Castlevania 2095". Furthermore, Wing Nut himself is a bat-like mutant.
 * The Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures
 * This official video game based on the popular character of the same name features a level called "Assholevania", which is a parody of most common stages in the Castlevania series.


 * The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
 * When Eve's health is down to half a heart, she transforms into the "Whore of Babylon" and a screen will appear saying: "What a horrible night to have a curse...", a reference to Simon's Quest.
 * Death's summoning of whirling scythes is a reference to the Castlevania series' Death and his iconic Deathscythe attack.
 * The Binding of Isaac - Holy Water - 01.png design of the Holy Water item is based on the Holy Water sub-weapon in most Castlevania games.
 * The Nail's effect could be a reference to Simon's Quest, where one of the items needed to progress is Dracula's Nail, which allows the character to break blocks when equipped.
 * Globins are a reference to Red/Blood Skeletons.
 * Edmund McMillen, the creator of the game, revealed on his Formspring account that the Mask of Infamy is a reference to Carmilla's appearance in Simon's Quest.
 * The green variant of the Brain enemy is called Poison Mind, like the boss theme of the same name from the original Castlevania.
 * The Homunculus may be a reference to the Homunculus from Dawn of Sorrow. Other than sharing the same name, they both appear to be asleep until the player character is within range; once spotted, they detach from the walls they are attached to and rush toward the player.
 * The Slipped Rib item may be a reference to Dracula's Rib, as they both protect the playable character from projectiles.
 * The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Dawnguard
 * In Castle Volkihar, in the first room on the left is a display case with a heart, a nail, a ring, an eye and a rib. This is a reference to Dracula's relics.
 * The End Is Nigh
 * One of the tracks for this game is titled "Catastrovania".
 * Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines
 * At the end of the test chambers in the Fu Syndicate (an organization dedicated to hunt vampires) there is a security unit called the "Belmont Squad".
 * Van Helsing
 * Vanhelsing-ref2.jpg. ]]In the PlayStation 2 and Xbox game, Van Helsing, one of the libraries Gabriel Van Helsing walks through contains a book about an ancient clan of vampire hunters called "The Belmonts"''.
 * Yandere Simulator
 * While in the Bedroom, the player is able to play a minigame called Yanvania: Senpai of the Night. It parodies the prologue sequence of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
 * Zombies Ate My Neighbors
 * In the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis game, Zombies Ate My Neighbors, the vampire enemy's name is "Vlad Belmont". Makes sense as the game was also published by Konami.
 * The Wonderful 101
 * Romanian fashion modeler, Mariana Kretzulesco (Wonder-Pink), wields the "Beautiful Whip", which is revealed to be made of "Belmont Alloy".

Manga

 * Hellsing
 * The last chapter of Volume 8 is titled Castle Vania 1.
 * Rosario + Vampire
 * Rosario + Vampire - 01.jpg the Rosario + Vampire II manga series, the main character, Tsukune Aono, learns to control his vampire powers through the use of a magical whip that dispels demon power, called "Belmont". This is clearly a reference to the Vampire Killer whip and the Belmont Clan.
 * Zatch Bell!
 * The manga series Zatch Bell!, called in Japan Golden Gash!! (金色のガッシュ!!) featured a character named Sherry Belmont (シェリー・ベルモンド). She assists her partner Brago (who has a slight resemblance to a vampire) and her main-weapon is a flail.

Music

 * Army of the Pharaohs
 * This hip hop group has a track named "Bloody Tears" which samples the classic Castlevania song.
 * Dignity
 * This European metal band covered the Dracula's Curse track Beginning in their debut album, Project Destiny. The track is called "Inner Demons" and features lyrics about the inner fight of a man.
 * DragonForce
 * The band's 2014 album, Maximum Overload, features a song titled "Symphony of the Night", which appears to be sung from Alucard's perspective.
 * Likewise, a song from their 2017 album, Reaching into Infinity, called "Curse of Darkness", appears to be sung from Hector's perspective.
 * Malice Mizer
 * This popular Japanese visual kei band has a song named "Gekka no Yasoukyoku" which is the Japanese name for Symphony of the Night.
 * Pryapisme
 * The band "Pryapisme" references Castlevania, among many other video games, in their music video for the song "Un Druide est Giboyeux Lorsqu'il se Prend Pour un Neutrino".
 * Starbomb
 * Starbomb - Crasher-Vania - 01g music band, Starbomb, composed of American comedy duo Ninja Sex Party and Flash animator and internet personality Egoraptor, released their first and eponymous album in 2013, which included a song called "Crasher-Vania". The song is reminiscent of Bobby Pickett's 1962 novelty hit, Monster Mash, and talks about Simon Belmont crashing a party Dracula made for his friends. The chorus of this song gave birth to the now iconic phrase: "Never fear, Simon Belmont is here!"
 * The Black Dahlia Murder
 * This American death metal band released a demo album in 2001 titled "What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse", derived from the NES game Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, where it appears in a text box during the in-game transition from day to night.
 * An eponymous song was later recorded for the band's 2007 album Nocturnal.

TV series

 * Captain N: The Game Master
 * Simon Belmont appears as one of the title characters and a member of the N Team in this American-Canadian animated series which ran from 1989 to 1991. Instead of the barbarian vampire hunter determined to stop Dracula at all costs, he is portrayed as an arrogant and vain individual who enjoys tending to his appearance more than fighting evil. Likewise, Dracula, known in the series as The Count, plays a major role as a recurrent villain and outright antagonist, commanding a roster of minions conformed primarily on enemies from Simon's Quest and Dracula's Curse.
 * Game of Thrones
 * One of the fictional languages created for the show by linguist David J. Peterson makes a reference to Castlevania, where the word for chain is "belmon"; "that's clearly a shout-out to Castlevania II: Simon's Quest.", he said.
 * My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
 * MLP FiM - Castle Mane-ia.png from Castle Mane-ia. ]]The Hasbro cartoon series, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, pays homage to Castlevania by naming the third episode of the fourth season after it: Castle Mane-ia. This reference was confirmed by episode writer Josh Haber of Hasbro Studios via his Twitter account.


 * Robot Chicken
 * Robot Chicken - "Is that a Whip?" the episode Maurice Was Caught there is a segment called "Is that a whip?" which pokes fun at the Castlevania series.
 * Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
 * In episode 31, the vampire Camula (a homonym of "Dracula") summons a castle with a card named Infernalvania. While the name could just be a reference to Transylvania, Yu-Gi-Oh! is a Konami property and has referenced Castlevania in the past.