Eric Lecarde

Eric Lecarde (ja. エリック･リカード Eric Ricardo) is a character in the Castlevania series. His first and primary appearance is in Castlevania: Bloodlines. He is one of two playable characters in the game, with the other being John Morris. He later appeared as a non-playable character in Castelvania: Portrait of Ruin and as one of the combatants of the 3D verses game Castlevania: Judgment

Character history
Eric Lecarde was born into a wealthy family who were related to the Belmonts by blood, but who were not practiced in using the Vampire Killer. In 1897, while he was very young, he was in England with his childhood friend John Morris, the son of Quincy Morris, a fellow descendant of the Belmont clan. One of the things that Eric remembered about Quincy is that he was a very kind man. It is possible that Eric's father played a role in the ritual that would have enabled Quincy to be able to use the full power of the Vampire Killer during their long struggle against Count Dracula. Eric and John both witnessed Quincy's defeat of Dracula, who then died shortly afterwards. As they grew older, they both decided to rid the world of evil just as Quincy had. At some point, Eric was discovered by Alucard, who recognized his great potential skills in magic and physical combat, and was entrusted by him with the enchanted Alucard Spear. Eric would go on to master many spells and combat skills. According to the game Castlevania: Judgment, while still a child and before his full powers were manifested, he was summoned to battle with other warriors with connections with Dracula from other time periods. Born wealthy, he is somewhat spoiled and conceited.

Sometime later, Eric's love interest, Gwendolyn, was transformed into a vampire by a resurrected countess named Elizabeth Bartley. Despite his great skill in magic, Eric was unable to master the Sanctuary Spell, and thus unable to cure Gwendolyn of her vampirism. The Countess who turned her is also the niece of Count Dracula who started World War I seeking to resurrect her uncle. His friend John sets out to stop Bartley's ambition, but Eric offers to go in his place. He does not tell his friend that the real reason for this is vengeance though. They both go after her together however, and Eric likely performed the ritual necessary to allow John to be able fully utilize the Vampire Killer whip. Armed with the mighty Vampire Killer whip and Alucard Spear, they are drawn to the ruins of Castlevania. The castle is only a ruse however, and they end up chasing her all throughout Europe in their effort to stop her, but are too late, and Dracula is successfully resurrected. They are able to defeat both Bartley and her uncle however.

Eric would later find a new love and she bore him twin daughters in 1923. Stella, the firstborn, would inherit Eric's physical prowess, while Loretta would inherit his magical gifts. It is possible that these were the reincarnated daughters of the artist turned vampire Brauner, who had died during World War I. They were trained in the ways of the Lecarde family and learned the ritual that was needed to unlock the full power of the Vampire Killer. Though trained to be warriors, Eric could be somewhat protective over them.

After his friend John Morris showed signs of a wound that was particularly slow in healing despite of the spells that were cast, it was realized that the Vampire Killer used up some of the life force of its user in exchange for using its full power if the wielder was not a direct male-line descendant of the Belmont clan. Before John died, he made Eric promise never to tell his son Jonathan the secret of how to unlock the power of the whip.

In 1942, after the vampire Brauner resurrected Dracula's Castle through the souls lost during World War II, Eric is captured by Brauner as bate for his daughters, whom he believes are his reincarnated daughters. They are able to sense that he has come to the castle and go after him despite his strict instructions never to come to that castle. When they reach Brauner, they find their father badly bruised and are then turned into Vampires and put under a spell to love Brauner as their father. Brauner then kills Eric before their eyes. However, Eric is then able to remain in spirit form and binds himself to the castle. His will is strong enough to avoid being controlled by the castle's power and he waits for someone new come to the Castle in order to aid them in vengence against Brauner.

Two years later, Jonathan and his childhood friend Charlotte Aulin (a spell caster descendant of the Belnades Clan) come to the castle to investigate why it has appeared and to put a stop to any potential revivals of Dracula. He introduces himself to them as "Wind". He lends them his aid by teaching Jonathan new fighting techniques and Charlotte new spells and by providing information about Brauner. After they discover a locket with himself and Stella and Loretta in it, he reveals to them his true identity and the fact that they were his daughters, whom Brauner had taken away from him. He explains to Jonathan the reason that his father never taught him how to use the full power of the whip. He also eventually gives him the spear that Alucard had given to him. His daughters are eventually restored to human form by Charlotte's, who was able to perform the sanctuary spell that even Eric was unable to learn in life. His daughters then enable Jonathan to unlock the power of the whip. After Brauner and Dracula are defeated, he bids his daughters farewell and departs for the afterlife.

Appearance in Bloodlines
Eric appears as an alternate selectable player in beginning of the game to the more traditional whip-weilding John Morris. He uses the Alucard Spear (called the Alcarde Spear in the English manual), which can power up like the whip and allows him to pole vault to great heights.

Appearance in Portrait of Ruin
Eric is non-playable in this game and his primary role is to assign Jonathan and Charlotte and give them new items and abilities upon performing various quests.

Appearance in Judgment
Eric appears as a young effeminate boy with brown hair in a ponytail dressed in a formal outfit in the 3D Wii fighter game Castlevania: Judgment. He is armed with his traditional Alucard Spear.

External Pages

 * Game infowire - Contains Judgment's Biography on Eric