Unleashing the Shadows: The Most Haunting Endings in the Castlevania Games, Ranked

Highlights

Castlevania games often have multiple endings, with the possibility of both happy and bad outcomes for the protagonists.

The endings of Simon's Quest, Dracula X, Aria of Sorrow, Lament of Innocence, Harmony of Dissonance, and Symphony of the Night differ in tone and consequences as they are influenced by the players' choices and actions, ultimately shaping the fate of the characters and the outcome of the game.

Konami's gothic horror action series, known for its whip-wielding characters, has been active in the realm of animation with the success of Netflix's Castlevania series and its subsequent installment, Nocturne. However, there hasn't been much news in terms of video game releases, aside from the DLC for Dead Cells. Once the projects for the Metal Gear Solid 3 remake and Silent Hill are completed, there might be an opportunity for the Belmonts to make a comeback in the gaming world.

However, their return may not be met with a happy outcome. In these games, the protagonists can gather all the necessary items, reach the pinnacle of Dracula's castle, and ultimately defeat him for a traditional happy ending. However, if they overlook something or fail to complete the game within a certain timeframe, they may face a less pleasant or even negative ending. Even if the villains are not victorious, the heroes can still find themselves on the losing side in the darkest conclusions of the Castlevania series.

Warning: Spoilers Ahead

8 Castlevania 2: Simon’s Quest

Considered the black sheep of the original trilogy, Castlevania 2: Simon’s Quest deviated from the linear gameplay of its predecessors. Instead, it adopted a gameplay style reminiscent of the later "Metroidvania" games. In this installment, players take on the role of Simon as he embarks on a quest to collect five of Dracula’s body parts. The ultimate goal is to revive the legendary vampire within his own castle in order to break a curse that he had placed upon Simon and the nearby settlements. However, the journey does not end there, as Simon must then banish Dracula back into oblivion once and for all.

If players manage to defeat the game within a span of seven days, Simon will break his curse and successfully rescue everyone. However, if they take any longer, they will only achieve the "Normal" ending where Dracula is defeated, but Simon succumbs to his injuries, and the city remains cursed until the rise of another hero. Interestingly, the "Bad" Ending, which requires more than two weeks to accomplish, paradoxically appears more positive as both Simon and Dracula perish, yet the town and its inhabitants are ultimately spared.

7 Castlevania: Dracula X

Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, regarded as one of the finest action-based games of its time, was not released in the Western market until 2007 as part of the PSP collection called Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles. During the 90s, fans had to settle for its SNES remake, Castlevania: Dracula X (known as Castlevania: Vampire’s Kiss in Europe), which while not quite as impressive, featured endings that were more melancholic.

Failing to save Richter Belmont’s love, Annette, her sister Maria, or the other maidens in Rondo of Blood presents the player with a bright scene of the Vampire Hunter that is quite cheerful for a bad ending. In Dracula X, failing to save Annette or Maria depicts a somber image of Richter on his horse, looking mournfully upon what he has lost in the ruined castle. Saving Maria does not alleviate this feeling much, as the two grieve for Annette while enveloped in a dark shadow.

6 Castlevania: Aria Of Sorrow

Despite Konami's mixed results in transitioning the series to 3D, Castlevania thrived in its 2D format, particularly with the open-world, action-RPG gameplay introduced in Symphony of the Night. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow deviated from the norm by unfolding in the year 2035, where a deranged missionary named Graham Jones endeavors to bring Dracula back to life, fuelled by a prophecy that predicts his return through a chosen vessel.

Usually, the responsibility of stopping him falls upon the new lead, Soma Cruz, and his allies. However, it turns out that Graham's prophecy is accurate. Surprisingly, the vessel is none other than Soma himself! This fact is verified if he fails to defeat Chaos at the game's conclusion. The resulting outcome shows Soma assuming his position on the throne as the new Dracula, with only Julius Belmont fulfilling his promise to eliminate Soma in case of his downfall. Undoubtedly, this is not the most favorable fate for poor Soma.

5 Castlevania: Lament Of Innocence

Castlevania: Lament of Innocence received favorable reviews as one of the better 3D games. Despite some repetitive level design and backtracking, the game was well-received and garnered decent praise. Although the game had a single ending, it was a poignant one that provided an explanation for the enduring battle between the Belmont Clan and Dracula. When Matthias informs Leon Belmont that his fiancée Sara has been taken captive by the vampire Walter, they embark on a quest to rescue her.

But in the end, he fails miserably, being forced to take her life in order to prevent her transformation into a bloodthirsty creature. Subsequently, Matthias seizes Walter's power and exposes himself as the mastermind behind all the events. It turns out that this was all an elaborate scheme for him to seek revenge on God for the death of his beloved by transforming into a vampire himself. He extends an offer to Leon, presenting him with the same chance, but Leon defiantly vows that he and his family will one day eradicate Matthias. Consequently, Matthias assumes the identity of Dracula, with the Belmonts becoming his most formidable adversaries.

4 Castlevania: Harmony Of Dissonance

After the events of Simon's Quest, Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance continues the Belmont legacy with the story of Juste, Simon Belmont's grandson. Juste embarks on a mission to rescue his childhood friend, Lydie, who has been taken captive in Dracula's castle. During his journey, Juste discovers that his friend Maxim had attempted to destroy Dracula's remains, much like Simon had done before. However, Maxim's actions resulted in him being possessed by an evil spirit that was born from the remains and his own jealousy towards Juste's popularity.

The driving force compelled him to abduct Lydie, extracting her blood in order to complete his transformation into a vampire and eradicate any remnants of the original Maxim. In the event that the player possesses both Juste and Maxim's rings, Juste has the opportunity to rescue both Lydie and Maxim, resulting in the optimal ending. With only one ring, Juste loses Maxim but succeeds in saving Lydie. If he possesses neither ring, Lydie perishes, Maxim is forever lost, the castle crumbles, and Juste curses his fate, acknowledging his failure as a Vampire Hunter.

3 Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Platform(s): PS1, PS3, PS4, PSP, PS Vita, Sega Saturn, Xbox 360

Release Date: October 2, 1997

Developer(s): Konami

Genre(s): Metroidvania, Action RPG

While Simon's Quest and the MSX port of Castlevania I's Vampire Hunter introduced search-action gameplay to the Castlevania series, it was Castlevania: Symphony of the Night that became a PS1 classic. This game laid the foundation for subsequent Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS games. The story follows Alucard, who returns from Castlevania 3 to destroy his father's castle, only to discover that Richter Belmont is attempting to revive Dracula for another epic battle, seeking a purpose for his existence.

Alucard's search for the Holy Glasses leads him to the shocking revelation that Richter is under the control of Dracula's follower Shaft. Without the glasses, Alucard is left with no choice but to confront and defeat Richter, putting an end to the Belmont lineage and preventing Dracula's resurrection. Interestingly, there is another hidden ending on the game disc. If Alucard defeats Richter while wearing the Holy Glasses, Maria arrives to rescue Richter, but tragically falls victim to Shaft's possession. Shaft then attempts to bring down the castle on everyone. Alucard survives this ordeal but mourns the loss of both Richter and Maria's transformation. An alternative version of this ending exists, where Alucard informs Maria of the devastating news instead of keeping it to himself, resembling the regular bad ending.

2 Castlevania 64

Nintendo magazines were elated to receive the 3D version of Castlevania 64 instead of the 2D Symphony of the Night on the PS1. However, when compared to the rest of the series, both the game and its Legacy of Darkness update fall short. Despite this, it does boast an intriguing plot. Reinhardt Schneider and Carrie Fernandez join forces to halt a string of child abductions, suspecting Dracula and his minions to be involved.

Their suspicions are confirmed with the assistance of Malus, one of the abducted children. Should players successfully complete the game quickly enough, they discover that Malus is, in fact, Dracula reborn as a child through a ritual performed by his servants. Those who fail to do so remain ignorant of the deception and "rescue" Malus from his servant Gilles de Rais. Reinhardt takes on the role of raising Malus as the next Vampire Hunter, while Carrie unknowingly pledges to become his bride in the future, unaware of his true intentions.

1 Castlevania: Order Of Ecclesia

After the events of Aria of Sorrow and its sequel Dawn of Sorrow, the Castlevania series took a step back in time to the early 1800s with Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia. Following the disappearance of the Belmont Clan after Symphony of the Night, the Order of Ecclesia was established with the goal of preventing Dracula's resurrection. To accomplish this, they planned to use the Dominus ritual to seal Dracula's power within one of their members, Shanoa.

However, their plans were disrupted when Shanoa's colleague, Albus, stole the necessary glyphs and fled to Wrygol Village. This unfortunate turn of events resulted in Shanoa losing her memories and emotions. If the player successfully saved all the villagers, Shanoa would discover that the Order was actually attempting to revive Dracula using the ritual. On the other hand, if the player failed to save the villagers, Shanoa would confront and defeat Albus, reclaiming the stolen glyphs and completing the ritual. Tragically, in this scenario, Shanoa would perish in the process, leaving Dracula to return uncontested, as there would be no one left strong enough to oppose him.