Malphas

Malphas, also known as Karasuman or Feather Demon, is a crow demon inspired by both Christian and Japanese mythology. He tends to flap his wings and ascend in the air, gathering energy as he does so. He then releases an attack which can consist of razor-sharp feathers, a barrage of crows, or dark energy being emitted from its body.

Origins


Malphas is described in the Ars Goetia as a mighty "Great Prince of Hell", commanding forty legions of demons and being second in command under Satan. He appears as a raven, but if requested, will instead resemble a man with a hoarse voice.



Malphas specializes in the construction of houses, high towers and strongholds, throws down the buildings of enemies, can destroy enemies' desires or thoughts (and/or make them known to the conjurer) and all what they have done, bestows good familiars, and can bring quickly artificers together from all places of the world.

Malphas accepts willingly and kindly any sacrifice offered to him, but then he will allegedly attempt to deceive his conjurer, so he must be treated carefully.

The Castlevania character is also partially based on a variation of the Japanese legendary creatures known as the karasu-tengu (crow tengu). Tengu were in some parts revered as Shinto gods, other times depicted as demons, or simply as supernatural beings traditionally portrayed with both human and avian characteristics. The earliest tengu were pictured with beaks, but this feature has often been humanized as an unnaturally long nose.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
In the Castlevania series, Malphas first appeared in Symphony of the Night and was called Karasuman (crow man) in the American version, likely to avoid religious controversy (note that Biphron, Ukoback, and Legion also had different names, although Beelzebub remained unchanged). He is the boss of the Clock Tower and fights in the same room where Richter faced Shaft Ghost in Rondo of Blood. Several Malphai appear as regular enemies later on in Death Wing's Lair.

Malphas fights in three ways. After unfolding his wings on the ground, he will draw the essences of many demon crows inside him and unleashes them in a massive wave. His second attack is to fly into the air and fire spreading feathers. Malphas can also fire energy spheres, although this attack is not seen as often. However, he is slow to attack and easy to knock off balance, and thus he is one of the easier bosses in the game.

Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
In Harmony of Dissonance, there is a remarkably similar enemy called the Feather Demon. It does not use Malphas' raven attack, but is obviously the same type of creature, only redone for the sake of the Game Boy Advance's system limitations.

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
While not physically appearing in the game, Malphas makes a cameo in Aria of Sorrow in the form of an ability soul found after defeating the Great Armor in the Study, granting Soma the Double Jump ability.

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
Malphas makes a proper return as a boss in Dawn of Sorrow in the Dark Chapel, in which he guards the Double Jump ability (a nod to Aria of Sorrow).

Malphas is the only boss aside from Menace that does not appear in Boss Rush Mode.

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Several Malphai appear as ordinary enemies in the later areas of Portrait of Ruin.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
The Crow Witch Malphas appears in Lords of Shadow as a boss with a backstory.

Trivia

 * Malphas can perform an attack similar to the Holy Lightning spell performed by members of the Belnades Clan. At some point while confronting him, he may hover in the air and slowly build up energy. After enough energy has been gathered, he will unleash four giant electrical spheres which will travel in an arcing pattern, and which also have homing properties (although very slightly).
 * The name "Karasuman" is a blend of the Japanese word karasu (カラス) meaning "crow", and the English word "man", roughly translating into "Crowman".