Ferryman

Ferryman
Ferryman artwork from Symphony of the Night by Ayami Kojima.
Japanese name(s)	渡し守 Watashimori
Alternate name(s)	Oarsman
Role(s)	Ferry operator
Species	Human (presumably)
Gender	Male
Status	Unknown (probably immortal)
Abilities	Carries the player to otherwise inaccessible areas, sometimes in exchange of a special item
Firstappearance	Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
Appearances	1698: Simon's Quest 1792: Rondo of Blood/The Dracula X Chronicles 1797: Symphony of the Night
English voice(s)	Michael G. (SoN) Kyle Hebert (DXC)
Japanese voice(s)	Masaharu Satō (SoN)

"Welcome aboard, O Prince. Shall I guide thee 'cross the river?"

— Ferryman in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (DXC)

The Ferryman (渡し守, Watashimori^?) is a recurring character (or multiple characters) in the Castlevania series. His role in the games is simple: he transports the player across a river or large pond (seeing as swimming isn't always an option). Sometimes he requires specific items as payment, but nevertheless, he will take the player where they need to go.

Origins

Charon as depicted by Michelangelo in his fresco The Last Judgment.

The Ferryman is most likely based on the Greek mythological character, Charon. Charon was the ferryman of Hades, who carried the souls of the newly deceased across the rivers Styx and Acheron, which divided the world of the living from the world of the dead. A coin to pay Charon for passage, usually an obolus or danake, was sometimes placed in or on the mouth of a dead person. Some authors say that those who could not pay the fee or those whose bodies were left unburied, had to wander the shores for one hundred years. This payment characteristic is similar to those versions of the Ferryman in Castlevania where the protagonist must present him with a special item in order to obtain passage on his boat.

In the 5th and 4th centuries BC, Charon is often depicted as a rough, unkempt Athenian seaman dressed in reddish-brown, holding his ferryman's pole in his right hand and using his left hand to receive the deceased. Other Latin authors also describe Charon as an old man clad in foul garb, with haggard cheeks and an unkempt beard, a fierce ferryman who guides his craft with a long pole.

In the 14th century, Dante Alighieri described Charon in his Divine Comedy as having eyes of fire. Elsewhere, Charon appears as a mean-spirited and gaunt old man or as a winged demon wielding a double hammer, although Michelangelo's interpretation, influenced by Dante's depiction in the Inferno, shows him with an oar over his shoulder, ready to beat those who delay. In modern times, Charon is commonly depicted as a living skeleton in a cowl, much like the Grim Reaper.

History

The Ferryman appears in Castlevania: Rondo of Blood as a minor character, transporting the hero across bodies of water in two occasions. He does not ask for Richter or Maria to give him anything in return, and, in fact, will supply them with items if they speak to him after he has transported them.

The Ferryman appears in Symphony of the Night as well, but in two forms. The first form he appears in is his Rondo of Blood incarnation, which is considered to be a cameo appearance. To see him, the player must go to the Outer Wall and descend to the bottom-most point of the castle's east tower, then approach the telescope on the left and press ↑; this will make Alucard look through the device and see the Ferryman rowing on the river.

The Ferryman's second incarnation in this game appears in the Underground Caverns, where he will ferry Alucard over damaging bodies of water after the latter obtains the Merman Statue (and until he obtains the Holy Symbol, which allows him to swim without being damaged).

Appearances

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest

Simon hitching a ride from the Ferryman.

First appearance of the Ferryman in the series. He can be found standing on his boat at the bank of the Dead River, waiting for anyone who requires his services. Once Simon Belmont steps onto his boat, this mysterious being will speak a line and then immediately start rowing offshore. A horde of Fish Men will attack the ferry as both characters traverse the waters and Simon will have to fend them off, lest he's knocked down and devoured by these rapacious creatures. The Ferryman, on the other hand, seems to be used to the dangers of the river and won't even flinch at the sight of these aquatic monsters.

He will normally take Simon across the river to the town of Aldra. However, the Ferryman hides a secret; if Simon presents him with Dracula's heart as proof of his past victories, then the Ferryman will respond differently and instead take him upstream through a secret path which leads to Brahm's Mansion, where Simon will be able to claim yet another relic: Dracula's eyeball, which is guarded by Death himself and who will challenge anyone who dares to go near it. This cryptic event, along with the summoned whirlwind spirit from Deborah Cliff, was one of the main reasons why many players from the era couldn't finish the game, not to mention that cryptic hints were given in-game about this and many other secrets.

Castlevania: Rondo of Blood/Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles

Rondo of Blood

The Dracula X Chronicles

The Ferryman appears in two different locations in Rondo of Blood. First, he can be encountered stationed near a little platform located in the middle of nowhere in Stage 2'. This place is very well hidden and the player will most probably miss it the first time around if they don't know about it beforehand; or learn about it the hard way, if they are knocked down from the bridge above and manage to catch a glimpse of the Ferryman while falling to their doom. To find him, the player must first make their way across the aqueduct above until they reach the second screen. Once there, they will have to drop through the fourth collapsed part of the bridge to land on the platform where the Ferryman awaits. Once stepping onto his boat, the Ferryman will gladly offer to take them to the other side. A ferocious shoal of Mermen will attack the ferry while both characters leave shore and the hero must fend them off until they make it out of there alive. The Ferryman will take the hero directly to Stage 3', without having to confront a boss.

The second place where he can be found is in Stage 4'. To find him, the player must first make their way through the first screen of the level. Once on the second screen, the player must jump over a log and ride it downstream across the river until they reach a cavern. Here, the Ferryman will be waiting for them and take them just a couple of oar-rows forward to reach the next ledge. If the hero steps back onto his boat, the Ferryman will gladly present them with a full HP restoring item. If the hero climbs back onto his boat a second time, an increasingly bothered Ferryman will award them a Key instead. Yet, if the hero gets greedy and dares to step back onto his boat a third time, the Ferryman, now very upset, will throw an Invisibility Potion at them to take them off his back. Any further attempts to step onto his boat will award the same results from there on.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

The Ferryman seen from the Outer Wall telescope.

The Ferryman, now more cheerful than ever, can be found in a flooded area of the Underground Caverns. Stepping onto his boat prompts him to say: "I'll take you to a place which might be interesting for you. Hehehehe!", and start rowing, leading his master, Alucard, across the uneven terrain of the cavern, dropping the ferry down ledges and using a special elevator to reach higher ground again, until they finally reach to the other side. Alucard will not find much opposition while traveling with the Ferryman, other than a few annoying bats. He must be careful of not falling off the boat, though, or he will take heavy damage from the water while being overwhelmed by the myriad of creatures that dwell underwater, all this while desperately attempting to catch up with the boat and climb back to safety. Alucard will have to ask for the Ferryman's services a second time in this location once he has finished his business on the dead end part of the cavern.

The Ferryman can be encountered a second time and in a much more important role, as he will now lead Alucard to a secret room where a very important item can be found: the Holy Symbol, which will allow him to breathe and sustain himself while underwater. However, this time around the Ferryman won't appear in his intended location unless Alucard summons him by having acquired the Merman Statue beforehand. Now, in a much more serious mood, the Ferryman will say: "I'll take you to meet your destiny...", and begin the voyage. Again, Alucard will have to defend against a swarm of bats while the Ferryman opens a gate midway through their journey, which will allow them access to the other side. This gate would have prevented the player from proceeding further if they had attempted to make it to the other side without the aid of the Ferryman.

The Ferryman also makes an appearance in Richter Mode and Maria Mode (DXC), where he can ferry either Richter or Maria across the western river. For some odd reason, he says the same line he tells Alucard and this also makes it the only instance where dialogue is spoken within the aforementioned modes.

Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness

The Ferryman briefly appears in a cutscene at the very beginning of the game. He guides the hero (except Henry Oldrey who starts in the Forest of Silence) on his boat through the Foggy Lake until they reach what appears to be an old abandoned galleon. The hero disembarks from the boat and climbs up to the ship's deck via an anchor's chain. The Ferryman then turns around and heads back into the mist, with an unknown destiny and never to be seen again.

Other appearances

Vampire Survivors

Ferryman's select profile in Vampire Survivors.

The Ferryman appears as a secret character in the Ode To Castlevania DLC.

He is unlocked by evolving the Sonic Dash and walking on the water at the castle entrance.

He doesn't have a starting weapon, but has an unique ability, the "Acquazzone", which drowns enemies at the bottom of the screen.

Dialogue

• Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
• Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Dialogue Data: Ferryman
Image / Participants	Game / Location / Title Details Transcript(s) (click Expand to view when necessary)
Ferryman	Castlevania II: Simon's Quest / Dead River / Ferryman [edit] Normally: "SURE, I'LL TAKE YOU TO A GOOD PLACE. HEH!! HEH!! HEH!!" If Heart of Dracula is selected on right side of river: "I'LL SHOW YOU THE WAY" NOTES: version: Assessment: He'll normally take you to Aldra from the right, but if shown Dracula's heart, he will take you to Brahm's Mansion instead. He'll always take you back to Balesco Marsh heading right.

Dialogue Data: Ferryman
Image / Participants	Game / Location / Title Details Transcript(s) (click Expand to view when necessary)
Ferryman	Castlevania: Symphony of the Night / Underground Caverns / First Encounter with Ferryman [edit] When: Meeting with the Ferryman in Underground Caverns Summary: Alucard comes across an old ferryman, who offers to transport him. version (original) - [transcript][video]: Ferryman: I'll take you to a place which might be interesting for you. (dialogue at 24:00) version (new) - [transcript][video]: (Alucard meets a Ferryman in the river) Ferryman: Welcome aboard, O Prince. Shall I guide thee 'cross the river? version (Japanese text) - [transcript][video]: Ferryman: いい所に、連れて行ってあげよう。 video - Nico Nico Douga video (registration required) version (fan translated) - [transcript][video]: (Alucard meets a Ferryman in the river) Ferryman: I shall take thee to a wonderful place. (dialogue at 12:32)
Ferryman	Castlevania: Symphony of the Night / Underground Caverns / Second Encounter with Ferryman [edit] When: Second Meeting with the Ferryman in Underground Caverns Summary: The ferryman offers to guide Alucard to his destiny. version (original) - [transcript]: Ferryman: I'll guide you to meet your destiny. version (new) - [transcript][video]: (After defeating Succubus, Alucard takes the second boat) Ferryman: Thy destiny awaits, O Prince. version (Japanese text) - [transcript][video]: Ferryman: 貴方の行くべき所に、 導きましょう…。video - Nico Nico Douga video (registration required) version (fan translated) - [transcript][video]: (If Alucard takes the second boat) Ferryman: Let me guide thee wherever thou need to go... (dialogue at 16:01)

Quotes

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

• "Welcome aboard, O Prince. Shall I guide thee 'cross the river?"
• "Thy destiny awaits, O Prince."

Gallery

Sprites and models

Ferryman sprite art from Symphony of the Night.

Ferryman model from Legacy of Darkness.

Close-up

Artworks

Ferryman concept art for Simon's Quest published in The History of Castlevania e-book.

Ferryman artwork from a Simon's Quest magazine advertisement.

Ferryman artwork from Symphony of the Night by Ayami Kojima.

Trivia

• In the Japanese version of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, when Alucard meets the Ferryman for the first time, he will say the same phrase he said to Simon Belmont in Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. Even though Simon's Quest is in katakana and Symphony of the Night is in hiragana, the phrase is the same, maintaining the same meaning and sonority ("Ii tokoro ni, tsureteitte ageyou", lit. "I'll take you to a good place"). This similarity is also evident in the English version, although it isn't the same dialogue (this similarity only doesn't occur in Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles, because of changes in the script).
  • Dialogue in Simon's Quest:
    • USA/EU: "Sure, I'll take you to a good place. Heh!! Heh!! Heh!!"
    • JP: "イイトコロニ、ツレテイッテ　アゲヨウ、イッヒッヒ。"
  • Dialogue in Symphony of the Night:
    • USA/EU: "I'll take you to a place which might be interesting for you."
    • JP: "いい所に、連れて行ってあげよう。"
  • In the second encounter, after obtaining the Merman Statue, the same quote that would bring Simon to Brahm's Mansion will appear.
• It is ambiguous to which side the Ferryman leans on, as he has no issue ferrying the Belmonts and other heroes, yet calls Alucard by his royal title and dwells within the castle, implying he serves some sort of allegiance to the Dracula royal family (similarly to the Master Librarian), although it could also be implied he is against Dracula, as he only appears to aid the heroes.

Mysterious Boatman from Valis III.

• A similar character appears in Valis III, possibly being a reference to the Ferryman from the Castlevania series. The Dragon antagonistic character, disguised as a boatman, offers the heroes to cross a lake in his boat, but midway through the trip he changes into his true draconic form and attacks them.

External links

• Ferryman at the Vampire Survivors Wiki