Dullahan

Dullahan is an enemy in the Castlevania series. He is a cursed headless man eternally in search for his lost head. It appears sometimes as a skeleton and other times as a ghostly armored knight. He is based on the Dullahan/Gan Ceann of Irish myth, a headless horse rider who served as the inspiration for the Headless Horseman as well.

Dullahan first appeared as a rapier-wielding headless skeleton in Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (called the Headless Hunter). This form was used again in Super Castlevania IV, where his skull (or an unsuitable one), is carried in one arm. In Symphony of the Night (translated as Dhuron), he gained the ability to, after a significant amount of time, raise his sword in the air and have it charged by electricity, making him more dangerous.

Concept art for a skeletal Dullahan boss was provided on the website for Castlevania: Order of Shadows, although the boss did not make it into the final version of the game.

DescriptionEdit

Dullahan's appearance changed with the games. He is sometimes seen riding a horse or wielding a shield.

In Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, it appears as a regular armor without a head, armed with a sword and a shield with a face on it that breathes fire. This sword and shield armored version returned as a boss (though now decorated with some furs and a red coat) in the subsequent Curse of Darkness, Akumajō Dracula: The Arcade and Pachislot Akumajō Dracula II.

There are a few differences between all four of these Dullahans, however. Dullahan in Lament of Innocence had a normal silver sword and his shield was decorated with a face. In Curse of Darkness, Dullahan's sword and shield are glowing and purple, and as stated before, he wears furs and a red coat and is much more agile. The Arcade version of Dullahan looks much like in Lament of Innocence but lacks a shield. Pachislot II's Dullahan looks like the Dullahan from Curse of Darkness, but with no shield, a different sword and a horse.

AppearancesEdit

Castlevania: Rondo of BloodEdit

This enemy first appeared as a boss in Rondo of Blood, where it is shown as a ghostly knight wearing heavy armor with no helmet and armed with a giant lance. Its zombie-like head floated about the room. This style boss returned in Dracula X and Portrait of Ruin.

Castlevania: Symphony of the NightEdit

Dhuron is encountered as a lesser enemy in the Long Library. It is a purple headless humanoid wielding a rapier. Once in a while, he will cast a lightning bolt to kindle his sword. His sword will be shining and its power doubled (15 ATT to 30 ATT).

Castlevania: Circle of the MoonEdit

See also Dead Warrior.

In Circle of the Moon, Dullahan rides half of an undead horse that is missing its hind quarters. He holds his sword above his head while charging back and forth. His design, including garments and a cape, is reminiscent of the Headless Horseman.

Castlevania: Curse of DarknessEdit

Dullahan is fought in a large square room in the Infinite Corridor, the walls of which are covered in alcoves containing heads in glass boxes.

The enemy himself a large suit of armor, with a fur-lined neck and red coat. He wields a glowing purple sword and a glowing purple shield. Both armaments are covered in ghostly purple human faces and the sword emits a trail of what seems to be souls.

He will attack using sword slash combos and shield rushes. He will occasionally leap into the air and slam his sword into the ground, emitting several shockwaves. It can be stolen from when he is in the air and just after he hits the ground.

He also has two charged up attacks:

1. He will hold his sword outwards above his head with both hands, where it will emit a blue glow from the tip and slam it into the ground, surrounding himself in a damaging blue aura.
2. He will charge his sword pointing straight above his head, where several blue rings with appear around the sword, and swing it down, firing a laser out of the tip. Dullahan will spin around to cover the whole room with the laser.

Castlevania: Portrait of RuinEdit

Dullahan is the first boss in the game; he is a gigantic, headless knight who has his head floating around him. If the head attaches to his body, it will unleash a series of heavy damaging dark energy rays, each aimed to the player's current position and with slight homing capabilities. After he vomits about five of these, the head will detach and float about again. Damage can only be done to his body, whilst attacking his head will have no effect.

Akumajō Dracula: The ArcadeEdit

External videos:

• Dullahan Battle Video - Nico Nico Douga video (registration required)
• Another Dullahan Battle - Nico Nico Douga video (registration required)

Pachislot Akumajō Dracula IIEdit

The headless Dullahan appears mounted on a horse and armed with a sword in Pachislot Akumajō Dracula II. In order to be defeated, he must first be knocked off of his horse and then slain.

Castlevania: Harmony of DespairEdit

Dullahan looks like he did in Portrait of Ruin. He is not a boss, but an advanced enemy. Instead of his body being vulnerable and head invincible, it is the opposite; his head being the only weak spot and his armor invulnerable.

Castlevania: Grimoire of SoulsEdit

Dullahan appears as a boss in Grimoire of Souls. He appears way bigger than previous appearances and retains his appearance from Portrait of Ruin.

Enemy DataEdit

Main article: Dullahan/Enemy Data

Item DataEdit

Item Data: Dullahan
Image	Name - Game Description	Type / Users	Attributes / Consume	Statistics / Sell	Found	Notes
	Hide Cuirass (Leather Breastplate) - Symphony of the Night					[edit]
	Tanned leather cuirass	Body (Body Armor) Alucard		DEF +2	Find: Alchemy Laboratory Drop: Dhuron
	Rapier (jpn) - Symphony of the Night					[edit]
	Long bladed sword	Short Sword (Rapier) Alucard	Attrib: Cut	ATT +5	Drop: Armor Lord, Dhuron	Special: ↓↘→ + [Attack] for repeated strike (ATT = 15)
	Platinum Armor (Platinum Plate) - Circle of the Moon					[edit]
	Plate armor made of platinum	Body (Body Armor) Nathan		DEF +150	Drop: Dark Armor, Dullahan, Holy Armor
	Thunderbird - Circle of the Moon					[edit]
	The legendary Thunderbird is said to have been able to release lightning. Has the power of Electricity.	Attribute Card Nathan	Attrib: Electricity		Drop: Were-Panther (1.1%), Dullahan (1.4%)
	Magical Ticket - Lament of Innocence					[edit]
	If you use it, you will be taken to the front of Rinaldo's house.	Leon Belmont			Buy: $200 Find: Castle Entrance, Rinaldo's Shop Drop: Dullahan
	Wine - Lament of Innocence					[edit]
	1000 years old, millennium vintage.	Recovery Item Leon Belmont		HP +80	Drop: Axe Knight, Dullahan
	Purple Glitter - Curse of Darkness					[edit]
	A crystal that glows a strange purple. Very rare, said to fall from the sky.	Material Hector			Steal: Dullahan Lv.49
	Acrobat Cube (jpn) - Portrait of Ruin					[edit]
	Spring off partner's shoulders to jump again in midair.	Relic Jonathan, Charlotte			Find: City of Haze
	Vol Confodere - Order of Ecclesia					[edit]
	A powerful rapier glyph.	Glyph Shanoa	Attrib: Slash Consume: 10 MP	ATK +11	Drop: Dullahan (10%)
	Iron Plate - Harmony of Despair					[edit]
	Standard breastplate made of iron.	Chest (body armor) Soma, Alucard, Jonathan, Julius, Richter	Attrib: Lightning -25	DEF +6 Sell: $750	Rarity: **
	Dullahan - Harmony of Despair					[edit]
	Unleash a vengeful spirit.	Bullet Soul Soma	Consume: 15 MP	ATK +12	Rarity: *** Steal: Dullahan (2.8%)

TriviaEdit

• In some titles, the Dullahan-type enemies bear an uncanny resemblance to an enemy appearing in the game Altered Beast (Sega, 1988). In said game, the player meets an enemy known as "Past Zombie". Starting with Dracula's Curse, a similar enemy was introduced, known at the time as the "Headless Hunter". The similarities go as far as portraying him holding his skull in one hand and attacking with the other, although in Castlevania he was given a rapier. His clothing, however, is almost identical, consisting of an old and ripped purple robe.
• In Celtic mythology, the Dullahan was a type of unseelie (dark) fairy. True to the myth, Dullahans in Castlevania also carry their heads in their hands.

See alsoEdit

• Dead Warrior
• Nightmare