Summary
Castlevaniais one of the best dark fantasy/action franchises ever created, though many fans have constant debates about which of the games are good,and which of them are not fit to be part of the canon. Some titles have such a deep and powerful story that it would be a shame not to take advantage of their lore, their worldbuilding, and their characters.
That’s precisely why this list summarizes theCastlevaniagames that could be great to adapt into an anime. With so much raw potential ready to be taken by an enlightened producer, these titles are part of the Dracula versus Belmont mythos, and fans are eagerly awaiting a chance to see them displayed as an animation likeCastlevania the Series, orCastlevania: Nocturne.
Order of Ecclesiais a great example of how theCastlevaniafranchise has evolved over the years with a deep and powerful narrative. Set in a world wherethe Belmont lineage has disappearedfrom history, and thus, the responsibility of fighting against Dracula and his forces of darkness falls in the hands of the Order of Ecclesia, a group of vampire/demon hunters who use the powers of Glyphs to fight against evil in its many forms.
Shanoa is the main protagonist of the story and is a worthy heir to the franchise’s vampire hunter hero mantle. After the success ofDawnandAria of Sorrow, this game positioned itself as a worthy heir toSymphony of the Nightand has quite a thrilling main plot as well. It’s definitely animated series material.
Lords of Shadow I & IIare a total re-direction ofthe essence of the franchise, with a different tale to tell, and a more RPG/hack-and-slash gameplay style. It narrates the tale of how Dracula came to be, as none other than Gabriel Belmont, who turned into a monster after opposing God and being tricked into killing his own family. With a deep and gloomy worldbuilding, and a story that is not canon but a re-boot of the series, that sadly, didn’t convince fans too much.
Nevertheless, the story of the game and its gameplay are undeniably good, and it is worth another sequel, if Konami allows it, of course. But perhapsLords of Shadow’sfuture might be more promising in an entirely different platform, and it would be nice if producers took advantage of an already constructed lore to create an animated series. The possibility of seeing how the screenplays would adapt Dracula’s origin story is worth the effort.
Of all the Belmont family members, perhaps none is more beloved than Juste Belmont, the protagonist ofCastlevania: Harmony Of Dissonance.Grandson of Simon Belmont, Juste is known to be one of the most powerful magicians and vampire hunters to ever thread the dark Transylvanian lands, hunting down Dracula’s forces like a champ.
When Justemade its appearance inCastlevania: Nocturne,fans must have felt a myriad of emotions. But since the image of the heroic, crafty, and sometimes snarky Juste was destroyed by his current status as a “failure” and “retired” vampire hunter, manyCastlevaniaenthusiasts have been left with a question: What happened to him? This is partially revealed through a sluggish dialogue between him and a young Richter (another poorly depicted character) and as hardcore fans of theCastlevaniafranchise might know, this is not nearly enough. Many want to see Juste Belmont as an animated character in his prime, so why not give him his own series? That would be the greatest idea producers could have.
Simon Belmont, son of Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades, is the protagonist of the second iteration in theCastlevaniaseries, which made its debut on the NES systems in 1988. Some say this is the most challenging game of the whole franchise, and others have an entirely different opinion. In other words,it is quite a polarizing game. For reasons hard to understand,Castlevania 2: Simon’s Questis looked down upon among all pre-Symphony of the Nightgames, and of course, it is understandable that by modern standards, this is not the most perfect game ever made.
But it is also true that the story of Simon Belmont is both awe-inspiring and worthy of exploring, and the lore derived from his struggles to destroy Dracula once and for all while also dealing with a curse that was affecting him, is absolute series material. All of that is accompanied by a masterfully crafted soundtrack that is recognized among fans of the franchise as one of the best, especially “Bloody Tears,” which ended up becoming the iconic part of the soundtrack for the rest of the franchise (and even made a cameo in the Netflix series). Perhaps his story, retold from the perspective of modern producers, will fill the gaps between the events ofCastlevania: The SeriesandCastlevania: Nocturne.
InAria of Sorrow, the series takes a twist as players accompany the protagonist Soma Cruz, who is none other than the reincarnation of Dracula. Living his second (third?) life as a normal student, Soma is suddenly assaulted by obscure visions and dark urges, as the forces of darkness rise once more to sow fear among the living. With a much more modern setting than the classic games, the story happens in current times, with the dark history of the Belmont clan and Dracula long gone, but his legacy still tortures mankind. Soma and Mina Hakuba (his dearest friend) were journeying through Japan when an eclipse-induced teleporting effect transported both of them to Dracula’s Castle. Thus, the story begins with the main character, without knowing what he is doing, slowly discovering his supernatural abilities, and devouring the souls of slain monsters to become stronger.
But as the story progresses, the plot takes a twist, and Soma is revealed to be the reincarnation of the ancient Dark Lord, and thus, fated to either destroy humanity or save it from his past life’s legacy. As crazy as this might sound, the game is great, fun to play, and the Soul system alongside an arsenal of modernized weapons (and some old ones like Excalibur and Longinus) make it quite an interesting tale of adventure. Of course, to develop such a story into an anime, the budget should be appropriate. Fans wouldn’t accept something made without love, either forAria of Sorrow’s timeline or for any otherCastlevaniaanimations made in the future.
