Hardcore Castlevania fans know that the series’ history is jumbled to say the least, with a distinct “canon” timeline hard to figure out compared to “non-canon” games. On the one hand, some titles re-invent Castlevania‘s history from scratch, while others create new stories while retaining only a part of the gaming franchise’s past. With so many story directions in Castlevania, the latest game releasing this year may cause fans of series lore to scratch their heads once again.
The plot of Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, the latest game in the series, has only been vaguely hinted at through the title’s initial trailer. It seems like it will follow the successor of Trevor Belmont, an iconic Castlevania character known for being the protagonist of games like Castlevania 3: Dracula’s Curse. Trevor is also known in the Pachislot Akumajo Dracula III game in the series, which acts as an alternate timeline in Castlevania still featuring the character.
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse Might Break The Timeline Again Like The Lords Of Shadow Series
Courtesy of Konami
There are multiple points where the mainline canon of Castlevania is broken, with at least 15+ alternate timelines that can easily get confusing quickly. Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse seems to be taking elements from one such timeline, known to some in the series as the “Legends” universe of content that never made it into a game. The cancelled title Castlevania Legends was said to star Sonia Belmont, the mother of Trevor Belmont, as the first champion of the Belmont clan to challenge Dracula as the main protagonist of her own adventure.
Many elements of Castlevania Legends can be seen in Belmont’s Curse through its protagonist, whose design mimics the artwork of Sonia Belmont in many ways. While the Sonia of Belmont’s Curse could be Trevor’s daughter instead of his mother, the adoption of this Legends character breaks another part of the timeline into a new history that disregards Trevor’s original ancestor.
Konami’s past efforts with Castlevania prove that Belmont’s Curse isn’t the only time a major break in the timeline happened, not even to the same degree as this new title could be doing. The most infamous example of a timeline reset in the series is through Castlevania: Lords of Shadow and its sequel, which completely separates itself from any history of the series. Almost acting as a reboot of the franchise, Lords of Shadow stars Gabriel Belmont instead of Leon, the first protagonist of the mainline Castlevania games.
Lords of Shadow plays less like a traditional 2D side-scroller and more like a God of War 3D action title. This helps emphasize the break in the timeline further, showing a distance from the main series that hasn’t been done since. A divisive series to veteran Castlevania players, these games are perhaps the most prominent ones that deviate from the timeline, both through their gameplay and stories.
Multiple Castlevania Games Have Strayed From The Original “Canon” Of The Series
Other titles like Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth, Super Castlevania IV, Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness, and Castlevania: Circle of the Moon also break from canon in similar ways as Lords of Shadow, albeit in smaller ways. From introducing new characters like Gabriel to changing the roles of established figures like Richter Belmont, Castlevania has a long history of its stories not all connecting to one another.
Some other examples include the Akuma no Chi Chi no Akumu timeline making the Belmont clan not related by blood, but instead chosen “guardians” to take on the name, or the comedic Kid Dracula timeline that lightens the darker tone most of the series keeps. These consistent breaks or deviations in the timeline can make it hard to track down certain characters, including their personalities or actions throughout the series.
In the case of figures like Trevor or Richter Belmont, their iconic status in multiple Castlevania games makes this even more muddied, as it’s almost impossible to make a clear path of all their “canon” actions. So many entires in the series follow the mainline story close enough, but have distinct events that can make characters seem slightly “off” compared to their original appearances. In many ways, this puts Belmont’s Curse‘s story and characters into a lot of doubt among fans.
Trevor Belmont’s Inclusion In The Newest Game Suggests A Return To Form For Castlevania
Courtesy of Konami
From the tone of Belmont’s Curse, there are many signs of hope for fans who prefer the original feel of the early Castlevania experiences. A reverence for the past is clearly felt in this new title, no doubt leading to this storied character’s inclusion in the game’s story. Although this can also be contributed to Trevor’s role in the popular Castlevania animated TV series on Netflix, using a figure from the earlier Castlevania games gives the story more legitimacy than Lords of Shadow had.
Despite the timeline break that Sonia’s inclusion could cause, an older Trevor who remembers the events of Dracula’s Curse fits more naturally into the main timeline than a reboot or spin-off would. If anything, Belmont’s Curse might be the first Castlevania game in a long time to keep some semblance of the original timeline, at least far more than others have done in the series’ history.
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