Richter Belmont
During the span of the Castlevania series leading up to Castlevania Dracula X: Rondo of BloodThe first adventure for Richter Belmont, this game didn't originally make it to the West (instead seeing a SNES remake to replace it) as was considered something of a prized collector's item by fans. there had been a number of Belmonts: Christopher BelmontThe second ever Belmont, and second hero, revealed in the series, Christopher predated Simon by 100 years within the series Chronology, even if American sources struggled to get the lineage straight., Simon BelmontThe first hero of the Castlevania series (by release date), he's been featured in more games, and referenced more times, than almost any other character in the series., and Trevor BelmontThe third Belmont revealed in the release history of the franchise, Trevor's clout among fans has grown. Between love for his first game, and his starring role in the Castlevania anime, Trevor is perhaps even more popular now than even Simon.. Among them, Simon was often credited as being the most powerful vampire hunter (aided in no small part by his popularity among fans). However, with a set timeline in place the series would eventually have to move on from just those three Belmont. Thus came Richter Belmont and his adventures set 100 years after the era of Simon.
Canonically, Richter is credited as the most powerful vampire hunter to ever have existed (as per AlucardOne of three heroes recruited by Trevor Belmont on his quest to defeat Dracula, Alucard was the son of Dracula who turned from his fathers evil, battling against his cursed family line again and again.'s own dialogue in Castlevania: Symphony of the NightReleased on the PlayStation in 1997, this game, while not hugely successful in the U.S. at the time, went on to become on the most beloved titles in the Castlevania series.. That fact could be taken one of two ways, though, as either he's the most powerful ever, or simply the most powerful at the time. Certainly Richter proved to be a strong, capable fighter with a deep bag of tricks and a lot of power (which we'll talk about later), but whether he was the most powerful ever is up for debate.
Certainly, though, Richter has secured quite a legacy in the Castlevania series. The fact that he featured in one of the most popular Castlevania games of all time (Symphony) and was one of the two heroes (with Maria RenardA young heroine, and cousin to Richter Belmont, with the blood of the Belmont clan in her veins, Maria teams with Richter to fight back Dracula and the forces of darkness in the late 1700s.) in what is often credited as the best old-school game in the series (Rondo of Blood) didn't hurt at all. In fact, his exclusion from many of the last games in the series -- no appearance in Castlevania: JudgmentOne of the final Castlevania titles released under director Koji Igarashi's tenure, this Wii game was a crossover 3D fighter featuring characters from across the whole series. and no reference in the Lords of ShadowThe first full reboot of the franchise, the Lords of Shadow series introduced a new hero, Gabriel Belmont, and reimagined villains all in league with a new antagonist, Satan. series -- seems particularly shocking. After Simon and Alucard, Richter is one of the most famous heroes in the series.
Still, with four games where he's featured as a playable character (usually as a hidden mode) plus two remakes of his most famous adventure, Richter's legacy is safe.
Character History:
Castlevania Dracula X: Rondo of Blood
100 years after DraculaThe lead antagonist of the Castlevania series and most famous vampire character in all media, all thanks to Bram Stoker. Based on the historical figure Vlad the Impaler, a vicious ruler of Wallachia in the mid-1500s.'s final defeat at the hands of Simon Belmont (give or take), Dracula was resurrected once again. Aided by the dark priest ShaftThe dark priest and righthand man for Dracula through Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night. He has no relation to the cool private eye fron the 1970s. None whatsoever. Really., Dracula demanded women for a blood sacrifice to give him power. Sending their minions out, four girls were taken from the local village: AnnetteThe sister (well, "sister") of Maria Renard. Her exact familial connection to other characters is confused by bad translations across the Western games. She was then reinvented completely for the Netflix series. (Richter's fiancee), IrisOne of four girls that can be rescued in Castlevania Dracula X: Rondo of Blood. Iris was the daughter of the local doctor, and a medical student as well., TeraOne of four girls that can be rescued in Castlevania Dracula X: Rondo of Blood. Tera was a young nun who lived in the village in the original game, although her role was greatly expanded in Castlevania: Nocturne, turning her into Maria's mother., and Maria Renard. These girls were brought to Castle Dracula and imprisoned there to await their fates.
However, Richter Belmont, sworn protector of the land and vampire hunter, found out about Dracula's actions. Swearing to rescue his kidnapped love as well as the other girls, Richter ventured out into the land to gain access to the castle and defeat the dark lord.
Along the way, Richter freed Maria, a local girl and vampire hunter in her own right. Rumored to be distantly related to the Belmont clan, the girl showed great power. Richter took her along on his quest, and the two aided each other in combat, exploring the ever shifting castle.
Eventually, having freed the other girls, Annette included, Richter and Maria reached Dracula's throne room. Through a vicious battle, Richter bested the dark lord and rid the land of his evil... or so he thought.
Officially, Rondo of Blood is the 1792 AD entry on the Castlevania timeline. However, it did have two remakes which each adjusted the continuity slightly. Firstly there was Castlevania: Dracula XThis SNES game was a loose remake of Castlevania Dracula X: Rondo of Blood, and even by the team that made it is considered a non-continuity adventure. (commonly referred to as Dracula XX or simply DXX), a SNES remake/re-imagining of the game. While most of the story was the same (omitting two of the girls and removing Maria as a playable character), the game did tweak one detail: Maria Renard became Annette's sister (which is why Annette is often referred to as "Annette Renard"). This wasn't included in the original game, but became official continuity when Maria called Annette "my big sister" in Symphony of the Night.
Eventually continuity was adjusted by a later remake, Castlevania: The Dracula X ChroniclesA remake of Castlevania Dracula X: Rondo of Blood which featured updated graphics, music, and some new gameplay elements. It also included classic versions of Rondo and Symphony of the Night (the latter of which had a new bonus Maria mode).. In that game it's explained that Maria was eventually adopted into the Belmont clan after the events of the game. In that case, Annette would be her sister-in-law (if Richter was her adopted brother and Richter and Annette got married), so Annette would fill the role of "big sister" at that point. It's worth noting that the translation to English from the original Japanese can support Anette being a sister-in-law and a big sister by graces of language differences.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Five years after Dracula's defeat at the hands of Richter Belmont (which is glimpsed again at the start of this game), evil fell over the land once again. Awoken from his slumber, Alucard (one of the heroes of Castlevania III: Dracula's CurseThe third, and final, NES entry for the series, Dracula's Curse returned the series to its roots with a more traditional adventure. But it also added in branching paths, multiple characters, and new hero Trevor Belmont. and son of Dracula) ventured out into the countryside only to see Dracula's castle once again atop the Borgo Pass. Exploring in, Alucard is confronted by a mystery: the local protector, Richter Belmont, went missing right around the time Dracula's castle appeared. Getting this news from a vampire huntress (and sister of Richter Belmont), Maria Renard, Alucard swears to search the castle and find out what happened to Richter.
It doesn't take long, though, for Alucard to be confronted by distressing news: Richter Belmont went mad and evil and proclaimed himself lord of the castle. Alucard feared the worst for the vampire hunter, but Maria soothed him, telling him that Richter wouldn't truly go evil so obviously something had to have happened. With her aid, Alucard is able to see the dark magic behind Richter actions -- the vampire hunter was being controlled by the dark priest, Shaft. Fighting the secretly hidden Shaft, Alucard freed the Belmont. With Maria's aid, Richter fled the castle to recover, leaving Alucard to find Dracula and end the dark lord's reign of terror once again. Together, Richter and Maria watch from afar as the castle crumbles. Alucard says his goodbyes, saying that the dark magic within him had to be put to sleep once again. Richter then told Maria to go after the vampire for he could see she had feelings for Alucard.
It's worth pointing out that while Richter's main part in the adventure ends halfway into the game (when he leaves the castle with Maria), he actually had his own playable mode. Although non-continuity, players could still take the vampire hunter through both sides of the castle (regular and inverted). This mode was incredibly difficult, though -- Richter, while supremely overpowered offensively, could take about as much damage as a wet tissue. Finishing the game in "Richter Mode", then, was a test for experienced gamers.
Richter Mode made a reappearance in the Japanese Saturn remake, Castlevania: Nocturne in the MoonlightThe Saturn port of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, commonly referred to by it's Japanese name to differentiate it from the PlayStation version. It had more features built in, but not everything about this port was superior.. There, though, the players could also activate an alternate costume for Richter, dressing him up in his evil garb. The graphics for this version, though, were not very good so most players chose to avoid it.
And, of course, Richter showed up as a playable character in the later remake of Symphony packaged as a bonus feature in the Dracula X Chronicles. As before, he was strong but weak, since this version of the game didn't feature any major changes for the vampire hunter.
Also of note is the fact that Symphony received an audio drama sequel, Castlevania: Nocturne of Recollection. In that audio play, Richter aids Mari and Alucard in dealing with a pair of self-proclaimed vampire hunters -- hunters, to note, who are after Alucard. The evil in the land is revealed to be a demon, Magnus, and with Richter's aid, Alucard is able to kill the demon and clear his name. That said, this adventure is a Japanese-only radio release, one that was never brought, in official form, to western shores. While it may hold a place in official continuity, we at the Inverted Dungeon don't consider it official canon, mostly because we can't understand it (as we don't speak Japanese).
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Nearly 200 years after the era of Richter Belmont, the world has fallen into ruin. Wracked by a world-spanning war, evil had easily spread across the land. It is into that evil power that the vampire lord, BraunerAn evil master vampire, but one not working for Dracula. Instead he steals Dracula's castle and sets up shop within, treating himself as the new Dark Lord and ruler of the lands... a position not everyone is going to be happy with., assumed control. Summoning Dracula's castle, Brauner set himself up as the lord of the castle and was working to take over the world. A hero was needed to stop the evil vampire at all costs.
That hero was not Richter Belmont, though. Richter had been long dead by that point (kind of hard for a mortal man to survive the passing of 200 years), but Johnathan MorrisSon of John Morris and inheritor of the famed Belmont whip, the Vampire Killer. Johnathan, with his friend Charlotte, has to go to Dracula's Castle when it appears once more, but instead of the Prince of Darkness they find an artistic demon and his two daughters ruling the edifice of evil.. Johnathan has inherited the Vampire KillerThe legendary whip charged with holy magic and created for the Belmont clan to aid in their fight against the forces of darkness. It has been the constant, reliable weapon of the clan through the many generations of their battles. Strong against vampires. whip from his father, John MorrisOne of two vampire hunters in Castlevania: Bloodlines. John was the son of Quincey Morris, from Bram Stoker's Dracula novel and, though not a Belmont, he wields the powerful Vampire Killer to aid him in his fight against Dracula., but the magical whip (while powerful) was a curse on any non-Belmont who used it. If anyone other than a Belmont used the true power of the whip, it would slowly kill them (a fate that befell Johnathan's father).
However, after saving two sorceress sisters, Stella and LorettaThe two vampire daughters of Brauner. When the evil vampire painter takes over Dracula's castle, his daughters come along with. Except they may not actually be his daughters, and they could in fact hold the secret to his ultimate defeat., from the magic that was binding them to the vampire lord Brauner, they aided Johnathan in unlocking the true power of the Vampire Killer so he could use it safely. Transporting him into the whip's own memory, Johnathan battled the memory of Richter Belmont. Once defeated, the whip unlocked its true potential and Johnathan could call on the energy of the Belmont clan to wield the whip.
After beating the main game, and unlocking the true power of the Vampire Killer, a special "Richter Mode" unlocks in Castlevania: Portrait of RuinThe penultimate Igarashi Metroidvania, Portrait was inspired by the "Julius Mode" adventure in Dawn of Sorrow, leading to a two-character adventure through Dracula's castle.. A completely non-continuity mode, the player has control over Richter and Maria (both in their Rondo of Blood incarnations). The two explore the castle in duo-form, much like Johnathan Morris and Charlotte AulinA powerful sorceress and descendant of the Belnades clan, Charlotte joins her friend, Johnathan Morris, for an adventure into Dracula's Castle when the evil castle once more appears. But it's not Dracula ruling the castle, and the two are in for an even deeper mystery to behold.. The mode is a fun lark but is completely non-continuity.
Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls
Richter is one of many heroes to appear in the large, crossover title Grimoire of Souls. In this adventure, multiple heroes get resurrected by the power of the Grimoires, powerful books seemingly tied to Dracula's magic. It is thought that, somehow, the books could be used to bring back the Dark Lord (despite his soul living on, reincarnated into the good-natured lad Soma CruzA young exchange student on a trip to a Japanese shrine, Soma is sucked into an adventure he never could have anticipated when Dracula's Castle, sealed within the magic of an eclipse, pulls him into its dark and foreboding grasp.). However, things aren't what they seem when someone in the order devoted to the books starts tapping into the dark magic, seemingly to awaken those dark magics.
Pulled out of the books by Lucy WestenraLibrarian for the Order of Elgos, a group dedicated to protecting magical tomes with a dark connection to Dracula's power. Using the power of the books, Lucy summons forth past heroes to fight a growing threat, evil forces looking to use the books to resurrect the Dark Lord and remake the whole timeline., a librarian of the order, the heroes have to band together and go into the various volumes, exploring each of the past times when Dracula rose up and then was defeated. This puts them in direct opposition, it would seem to the dark sorceress (and one time librarian) HerminaA powerful sorceress and former member of the Order of Elgos. Seemingly a villain, Hermina used to oversee the powerful grimoires the Order guarded. However her turn against the Order was actually because she suspected a threat from within the group and knew she had to stop the dark plans brewing within.. She stole some of the books before and everyone in the order assumed she was the one attempting to resurrect Dracula. This was only made more obvious when she showed up with a seemingly mind-controlled Soma, in his Dark King form, ready to steal the vital souls from the various volumes.
As it was soon revealed, though, it wasn't Hermina but the leader of the order, Seward, who was behind the attempt to raise the Dark Lord. Seward was, in fact, Dracula's faithful servant DeathThe Grim Reaper who, in the series, is Dracula's right hand man and most reliable supporter (although the Netflix series changes this some). He comes for the souls of the living, especially those of the Belmont clan., and with the power of the vital souls in the books Death was able to fulfill his purpose and bring about the resurrection of the true Dark Lord.
Seeing no recourse, the heroes traveled back into the oldest of the volumes, that tied to the era of Dracula's first true defeat in 1476, where they teamed up with Trevor Belmont to fight the Dark Lord and, once and for all, ensure that his dark magics were destroyed, ensuring he could never rise up again.
Castlevania: Grimoire of SoulsA mobile phone-based addition to the series. Was originally developed for Android, and released exclusively to Canada during its development cycle and episodic releases, before finally seeing a finished release on Apple Arcade two years later. is a multi-episode game released for mobile phones. Each adventure in the game featured chapters taken from other games in the series, such as an episode recreating sections of Rondo of Blood.
Non-continuity History:
Castlevania: The Bloodletting
Although Symphony of the Night was the first official sequel to Rondo of Blood, originally a different game in the series was intended to fill that slot. Called Castlevania: The BloodlettingThis title was meant to be the follow up to Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, a Sega 32X-exclusive cart that would have seen the return of Richter Belmont and Maria Renard to take on vampires once more. However, the failure of the 32X attachment all but ensured this game wouldn’t see the light of day, with its basic materials getting reworked into Castlevania: Symphony of the Night., this game would have seen Richter and Maria team up on a new adventure against the forces of darkness. Both characters were redesigned for the new game, featuring new sprites in a slightly different style from Rondo of Blood. However, the intended platform for the game, the Sega Genesis 32X add-on, was quickly scrubbed from existence due to poor sales, and The Bloodletting was quietly canceled.
That wasn't the end of Richter's sprites from this failed game, though -- it's thought that this new art was re-purposed for Zombie Trevor's sprites in Symphony of the Night. Fans noticed that the sprites seem to line up pretty well between the two characters, lending some credence to this theory. Sadly, the character name and bio given to Richter's new look by the Inverted Dungeon -- we took to calling him "Roberto" -- name never seemed to stick with the rest of the fan community (unlike with the horrible things we've done to Hanz BelmontDubiously known as the brother of Richter Belmont, Hanz was first introduced in the cancelled Sega 32X title Castlevania: The Bloodletting. Known only as "The Rival" at the time, he was later picked up by fans and renamed as "Hanz Belmont", creating a richer backstory for the character than Konami ever gave him., aka the Rival).
Castlevania: Harmony of Despair
Richter makes a non-continuity appearance in Castlevania: Harmony of DespairKonami's entry into the online massive multiplayer market, this game features teams of heroes going into Dracula's Castle to fight the demon, with rare loot and extra goodies to grab along the way. as a downloadable character (alongside young Maria, of course). Of course, this whole game is a flight-of-fancy, non-continuity adventure, so nothing that happened in the game actually had any effect on the greater continuity.
Castlevania Netflix History:
Castlevania: Nocturne
Introduced in 1783 AD in Boston, Richter is the young son of Julia BelmontMother of Richter Belmont, Julia is shown to be the heir to the family power, and its famed whip. Working in the New World, Julia is caught up in a battle with Count Olrox before she is killed at the hands of the master vampire. Her death protecting her son sends the boy on his own journey to find some way, eventually, to make his mother proud.. He’s with her in the New World as she worked to take out the vampires living there. Although he knows of his grandfather, Juste BelmontGrandson of Simon Belont, and grandfather to Richter, Juste wields both the power of the Belmont clan and the magic of the Belnades family. Juste has to put his considerable power to the test when Dracula’s castle reappears, all on a quest to help his friend Maxim find their missing companion, Lydie., it’s not clear if he knows much of the man at this point in his life. However, when a powerful master vampire, Count OlroxA master vampire who, we assume, was from Germany, with powers and abilities comparable to that of Dracula himself. Olrox is likely based on the fictional character of Count Orlock from Nosferatu, with his name accidentally (or maybe purposefully) changed during translation., comes for Julia, she takes the boy to the docks of Boston to put him on a ship bound for France. There, she hopes, he’ll come under the care of her friend, Tera, and that the vampire won’t chase him down as well (or at least that her friend, who is also a former speaker) will be able to defend him.
Unfortunately for both Richter and his mother, the vampire does catch up to the two of them. Julia fights to protect her son from the monster, but when Richter tries to help his mother in the fight (having the power of the Belnades clan, passed down from Sypha BelnadesOne of three heroes recruited by Trevor Belmont on his quest to defeat Dracula, Sypha is a powerful sorceress, and one of the most famous members of her clan.), he only serves as a distraction for his mother. She has to get in the way of an attack meant for him, and this leads to her death. Olrox, feeling like he’s had his revenge, leaves the boy alive, acknowledging that one day the boy might want his revenge and that Olrox will, on that day, welcome the fight.
Richter then gets on the boat, ticket in hand, as per his mother’s instructions. He does make it to France where Tera takes him in, becoming a surrogate mother for the boy. He also ends up forming a strong connection with Tera’s daughter, Maria, and the two become like siblings to one another.
Years later, Richter and Maria work together as vampire hunters, protecting the citizens of Paris, and its surrounding areas, from any creatures of the night that might wander into town. Maria also works to rile the people up, getting them to join the fight for the Revolution. While Richter doesn’t much care one way or the other about the Revolution, he does trust Maria and Iris and if they say it’s a cause worth fighting for, he’s in.
At a meeting for the Revolution, where Maria speaks to a small gathering of townsfolk about joining the resistance, vampires attack. Sent by the evil Marquis and MarchionessIn the time of Revolutionary France, the nobility is under siege by the pesantry. It just so happens that the nobility, led by the Marquis and Marchionesse, are vampires, and they fear the loss of power. So they join with the coming vampire Messiah to ensure their own rule., these vampires try to kill the gathered protestors, but thankfully they’re no match for Maria and Richter. Afterwards, they go to see the AbbotHead of the Paris church in the time of the French Revolution. He's initially presented as a helpful ally, but secretly he's working with the vampires to ensure the rise of their coming Messiah., the local leader of the Church, to get aid from him in fighting these vampires. There are so many, and they seem to be gathering strength, which both Mari and Richter suspect means they’re working with the Marquis. The Abbot has his doubts, dismissing the two heroes, but he does say he’ll ask around and see.
Back at the Renard homestead, Richter and Maria are attacked by night creatures, but they’re aided in the fight by two new heroes: Annette and EdouardA former opera singer, who also aided in sneaking slaves out of the Carribean plantations, Edouard joined with Annette on a mission to stop the coming vampire Messiah. Unfortunately he was captured by the vampires and turned into a night creature soon after arriving in Paris.. These two come from overseas, having sailed from the Caribbean to find “The Belmont”. They bring warning of a coming vampire Messiah, and they want to fight alongside Maria and Richter and prevent the Messiah from taking hold of the land. Seeing a common mission, the four head to the Marquis’s estate to see if the vampires really are congregating there.
Unfortunately, while investigating, they’re spotted and have to flee. A huge pack of vampires give chase, and while most of the heroes escape, Edouard is last, captured and killed by the undead. Annette is broken up over losing her friend, and Richter tries to console her, but all three know they can’t quit now, not after losing one of their own. The vampire Messiah is too big a threat to ignore.
After another meeting in the city square, with Maria and Annette talking to the townsfolk about the Revolution, the gathering is attacked by night creatures. Richter and Maria fend off the beasts easily enough. Annette, though, sees a night creature that very much resembles Edouard, and he seems to recognize her, too. He’s dragged off by other night creatures, back to the Church crypts where he was made, leaving the heroes back in the square questioning what just happened.
The heroes gather back at Tera’s cabin to discuss the matter. Annette wants to charge into the Church to find Edouard, but Richter advises caution. Not out of fear, he says, but because they need a plan… and they have to decide what to do with Edouard. If he’s in there, can they save him? And if not, can they kill him? Annette is furious with him at first but eventually realizes he’s right. Tera says she can lead them into the Church, and that she’s going with them, and they take a secret passage she knows about to get in.
Down in the crypts the heroes are confronted with night creatures. Richter and Maria battle against them while Annette goes in search of her friend. In the battle that comes, Richter takes on the Marquis and handily kills the vampire, beheading him. But then, out of the darkness, arrives Olrox, the vampire that killed Richter’s mother. The vampire hunter feels a fear he hasn’t experienced since that day, many years ago, in Boston. He flees, fear taking over, leaving the other heroes of his party to regroup and escape, their mission far from complete.
Richter’s flight takes him to a small village far outside Paris. He wasn’t sure where he was running, he just ran. Arriving, he heads to the local tavern for a pint, which he can’t afford. But an old man buys him a meal and a drink, which Richter gladly accepts. Attempting to thank the man, he’s rebuffed, grumpily. The man, Juste BelmontGrandson of Simon Belont, and grandfather to Richter, Juste wields both the power of the Belmont clan and the magic of the Belnades family. Juste has to put his considerable power to the test when Dracula’s castle reappears, all on a quest to help his friend Maxim find their missing companion, Lydie., Richter’s grandfather, bought him the meal out of obligation but he absolutely didn’t want Richter around. Eat and go and don’t come back was the implication, mostly because Juste assumed Richter was there, at the town, to track Juste down. Once he learned why Richter ran there, and that it wasn’t for his grandfather, Juste softened his stance.
Leaving the tavern, after briefly stopping to kill a vampire, Juste invites Richter to his hut to share some coffee. They have a few sarcastic, terse exchanges as their barriers slowly come down. Juste left Richter with Tera assuming that she would be a better caregiver for his grandson. The older Belmont had been riding a deep depression after the death of his wife, Lydie ErlangerGood friend, and potential love interest, of hero Juste Belmont, Lydie's mysterious disappearance, coinciding with the arrival of Dracula's Castle, is the event that kicks of Juste's adventure in the series., and his best friend, Maxim KischineRival and friend of hero Juste Belmont, Maxim ventures off on his own to prove himself a hero, but ends up returning with a dark secret right as Castle Dracula returns..., and he wasn’t good company for a small child. He hadn’t even been willing to go to the New World with Julia years early, yet another thing he regretted that wore heavily on him. After hearing all this, the younger Belmont found a way to forgive his absent grandfather for the years they had lost.
This would have been a great moment of bonding, except the peace was ruined by vampires. A vampire warrior, NikolaiA vampire in the service of Drolta Tzuentes. He is assigned the task of capturing and killing Richter to end the Belmont line, a task he fails to deliver on., and his men had been sent to find and kill Richter in an attempt to end the Belmont line of vampire hunters once and for all. And they nearly succeeded, first easily capturing Juste before fighting Richter four-on-one and besting the lad as well. With Richter forced to his knees, Nikolai has him dead to rights, a musket aimed squarely at his chest. But then the vampire decides to gloat, telling Richter they won’t just kill him, or Juste. No, they’re going to come after everyone Richter cares about, including Annette, Tera, and Maria.
Thinking of all the people he cares about, and how much they mean to him, the thought of them all dying lights a fire within him, igniting his dormant Belnades magic. Suddenly he has renewed power and vigor and throws off the vampires. His magic erupts around him and he’s able to kill all of Nikolai’s men before, with the help of his grandfather, forcing Nikolai to the ground. With holy fire from his hand, Richter burns Nikolai, ending the vampire’s life.
This article is currently incomplete. More information will be added shortly.
Playing as Richter:
Although Richter initially seems like just another basic Belmont -- a step down, even, from Simon in his Super Castlevania IVOfficially a remake in Japan, this was the first entry in the series for 16-bit consoles, and is often considered among the best Castlevania games ever made. form) -- that initial appearance is deceiving. While it's true that Richter cannot whip in multiple directions (unlike later-Simon or John Morris), he does retain the ability to control his jumps, shifting in air as well as jumping onto and off of stairs. He also gained a backflip in his first game, giving him a bit more maneuverability.
What's special about Richter is his ability to overpower his main attacks, called "item crashes". With these attacks he can throw out hundreds (thousands) of daggers, spinning vortexes of crosses, and storms of holy water. Even without an item, he can still "crash" his whip, creating a flame whip not unlike John Morris's final whip upgrade. Amusingly, he can even attempt to crash keys when he collects them, but this just makes him confused, causing little question marks to appear above his head.
Once Richter moved on to Symphony of the Night he picked up a whole fleet of tricks, gaining a variety of martial arts moves, from multi-kicks to air dashes, making him a formidable foe. Of course, initially Richter has to be fought (or, at least, avoided when Shaft is actually fought), so these special powers of his can prove deadly to the unprepared. Thankfully, once you earn the right to play as Richter, you can perform all his nifty skills and attacks -- masting these abilities will be necessary for anyone hoping to complete Richter's quest in the game.
Richter appears as both a boss and a bonus unlockable character in Portrait of Ruin, and there he plays much like his Rondo of Blood version. As a boss, Richter is an incredibly tough fight. He has full access to his complete complement of sub-weapons, including the Grand Cross item crash, and he wields a fully powered Vampire Killer which can kill Johnathan in just four hits. Again, though, the player gets the same access to his skills and powers (although he lacks the martial arts available in Symphony) meaning the players can have fun using this overpowered vampire hunter.
Finally, Richter plays in a kind of hybrid-form of his various appearances for his role in Harmony of Despair. While he still lacks item crashes, he can perform Dual Crush attacks with other players, giving him a variant of these traditional attacks. He's also able to use his martial arts attacks again, combined with a decent selection of sub-weapons (although not nearly as many as Johnathan Morris can use). He's a fast, powerful fighter who works as a good fit for more skilled players.