- Disclaimer: Portions of this page are based on internal worldbuilding material that was not made publicly available and thus might be subject to change. (See EGM fax references)
Van Helsing[1] is a mentioned character in internal worldbuilding material. He is a member of the Helsing family, an offshoot of the Belmont Clan, and played a role in the vanquishing of Count Dracula in 1897.[1]
Origins[]
Professor Abraham Van Helsing is a character featured in Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel, Dracula. He is an aged polymatha Dutch doctor, former teacher of John Seward, who is summoned to London by the latter to investigate the case of a strange disease that is afflicting a friend of his, Lucy Westenra. Throughout the course of the story, Van Helsing learns that she is afflicted with vampirism, which leads him, accompanied by a group of men, to hunt down the author of this atrocity, Count Dracula.
In most following media, Van Helsing is otherwise portrayed as a renowned vampire hunter with an extensive knowledge about the existence of vampires, other creatures of the night, and the occult in general, as well as how to fight them. In these representations, he usually lacks the physical prowess to take action by himself due to his age, and instead acts as a mentor to others to stop the evil at hand.
Background and history[]
According to an internal document shared by Konami's Chicago offices to Electronic Gaming Monthly as part of the prerelease of Castlevania: Bloodlines, Van Helsing is stated to be a descendant of Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades. The family tree listed in the document states that Van Helsing comes from the line of Mary Belmont who married "Leo Hercing",[sic] later becoming the ancestors of the Van Helsing family.
Gallery[]
Family tree[]
Miscellaneous[]
Trivia[]
- While "Van Helsing" is used as surname for the original novel character, Abraham Van Helsing, in the worldbuilding document Konami sent to Electronic Gaming Monthly, "Helsing" is instead used as the family name for the alluded Castlevania character, with "Van" apparently being his first name.
- The character Charlie Vincent seems to have been inspired by the novel character Abraham Van Helsing, as both are elderly vampire hunters with knowledge about the forces of evil and how to fight them, but lack enough physical prowess to fight them properly, thus relegating their roles mainly as mentors for the heroes.
- Van Helsing is referenced in the Castlevania animated series in an Easter egg found in the Blacksmith Magician's book on vampire magic and philosophy that Lenore gave to Hector.
(Vivendi Universal, 2004)
- In the video game Van Helsing (unrelated to Castlevania or Konami), based on the 2004 film of the same name starring Hugh Jackman, the character Gabriel Van Helsing inspects a book titled "The Belmonts".
- In the official sequel to Dracula, Dracula the Un-Dead, which takes place 25 years later, an elderly Abraham Van Helsing reveals to Quincey Harker (son of Jonathan Harker and Mina Murray) and Arthur Holmwood (from the first novel) that it was he who gave their story to Bram Stoker as a sort of guide to future generations who might encounter the undead. Van Helsing then reveals himself as a newly turned vampire and attacks the protagonists. He's shot with a crossbow and tackled out of a window by Arthur, where they both fall to their deaths.
See also[]
- Count Dracula (novel character)
- Dracula (novel)
- Quincy Morris
References[]
External links[]
- Abraham Van Helsing at Wikipedia
- Castlevania References at the Castlevania Realm