Nudity

Nudity is a recurring element in the Castlevania series; its inclusion probably being either to emulate the concept as frequently portrayed in classic religious art, to add more realism, or sometimes even for comedic effect.

Nudity was often censored outside Japan in the earlier titles.

Nudity in art

The nude figure is a tradition in Western art and has been used to express ideals of male and female beauty and other human qualities. It was a central preoccupation of Ancient Greek art, and after a semi-dormant period in the Middle Ages, returned to a central position in Western art with the Renaissance. Athletes, dancers and warriors are depicted to express human energy and life, and nudes in various poses may express basic or complex emotions. In one sense, a nude is a work of fine art that has as its primary subject the unclothed human body, forming a subject genre of art, in the same way as landscapes and still life. Unclothed figures often also play a part in other types of art, such as history painting, including allegorical and religious art, portraiture, or the decorative arts.

Game specific information

Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse

• Medusa is originally bare-chested in the original Japanese version of the game, whereas her breasts were edited out in the English version, consequentially resulting in her gender being switched and being renamed as the "Snake Man Sentinel".
• The statues in Stage 8 were redesigned to cover their bare chests.

Super Castlevania IV

• Most statues were nude in the original Japanese version, whereas tunics were added to them in the western release (most prominently seen in the hallways of Stage VI).
• The Harpie is bare chested.
• Medusa is bare chested.

Castlevania Chronicles

• Medusa's chest is bare.
• The Wolf Woman is briefly nude as she turns back into a human after the player defeats her.

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

• While not explicitly shown, the sacrificial maiden used during the black mass to bring Dracula back from the dead is implied to be lying completely nude over the Count's coffin, with only a cloth covering her body.
• The Werewolf is briefly nude as he turns back into a human after the player defeats him (only in the original PC Engine version and TurboGrafx-16 Mini version; the PSP and Wii Virtual Console version add undergarments to his sprite).
• Carmilla is nude, partially hiding behind a flying skull.
• The Harpy is bare chested.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

• A few enemies, such as the Succubus and the Harpy, are partially nude.
  • The Frozen Shade is depicted as the floating spirit of a completely naked woman with an affinity to the Ice element.
  • First appearance of Alura Une in the series; depicted as a giant rose bud that opens when approached, revealing a completely naked woman inside.
  • The Shield Rod + Herald Shield spell summons a naked female spirit that grants temporary protection against Fire and Thunder.
• The original artwork for the Succubus by Ayami Kojima depicts her with her breasts fully exposed.
• Several statues throughout the game are partially or completely nude, including a few fully exposed male statues.
• Legion's first form is a giant sphere conformed in its entirety of a mass of nude corpses.
• Symphony of the Night was the first game in the series that received no changes in regard to nudity during its localization (not taking into account following localized rereleases of previous games).

Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness

• Like in Rondo of Blood, while not explicitly shown, the sacrificial maiden used during the black mass to bring Dracula back from the dead is implied to be lying completely nude over the Count's coffin, with only a cloth covering her body.

Castlevania: Circle of the Moon

• Some of the game's enemies, most notably Lilith and her lesser brethren, are nude.
• Camilla is nude during her boss fight.

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow

• Some of the game's enemies, most notably Lilith and the Succubus, are nude.
• A couple of souls that Soma Cruz is capable of using feature a nude female (Valkyrie and Alura Une).

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow

• Some of the rooms of the Cursed Clock Tower have nude statues in the background.
• Some of the game's enemies, most notably Lilith and the Succubus, are nude.

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin

• A room in the Entrance area of the castle has nude statues in the background.
• Once defeated, the Werewolf turns into a completely nude man, who disappears once the player leaves the boss room.
• The enemies Succubus and Lilith are partially nude.

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia

• The Ladycat and Black Panther enemies, once defeated, briefly turn into a nude woman before disappearing.
• All lady bats in the game are either partially or completely nude (the Werebat, Lilith and Draculina).

Castlevania: Resurrection

• In a concept art for Sonia Belmont, she is completely naked.
• In the draft clip of opening sequence for Sonia Belmont, she was naked during her resurrection.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

• The Power Crystal Demon that Gabriel can call upon for assistance has a bare chest.
• The Fairies are nude.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2

• The Power Crystal Demon has a bare chest.

Other instances

Castlevania (animated series)

• Hector, Alucard, Taka and Sumi appear naked in some episodes of Season 3.
• Lenore removes part of her clothes and has her chest exposed when seducing Hector.