Topic: Someone remind me why Belmont's Revenge starts off with the 4 Castles?

[Lumi Kløvstad]

If there actually ever was a reason, I've gone and forgot it.

Topic is exactly what it says on the tin.

[theplottwist]

If there actually ever was a reason, I've gone and forgot it.

Topic is exactly what it says on the tin.

Dracula originally wanted to use Soleiyu's body to reincarnate. However, Christopher beat Dracula out of Soleiyu's body. So Dracula used the four spirits on each castle to revive his power. Maybe the first-ever demonstration of a Soul Steal

Now, why are the castles up in the first place, I'm not sure. I have some answers trying to use logic, but they are headcanon, so I'll refrain from answering that one until there's interest.

[AlexCalvo]

Dracula originally wanted to use Soleiyu's body to reincarnate. However, Christopher beat Dracula out of Soleiyu's body. So Dracula used the four spirits on each castle to revive his power. Maybe the first-ever demonstration of a Soul Steal

Now, why are the castles up in the first place, I'm not sure. I have some answers trying to use logic, but they are headcanon, so I'll refrain from answering that one until there's interest.

Dracula was just showing off.

[Nagumo]

From the Japanese manual:

The day after the ceremony, Soleiyu vanished from the village, and that night, as if to protect Soleiyu, four castles suddenly appeared.

[theplottwist]

From the Japanese manual:

Interesting. I'd like to know if there is something else to this considering this is not present on the translation I found at the VGMuseum.

[Nagumo]

It turns out my translation is actually from the game's intro.

Also, Soleiyu's little bio in the manual says he created the four castles. Dracula doesn't seem to have had anything to do with that.

[theplottwist]

It turns out my translation is actually from the game's intro.

Also, Soleiyu's little bio in the manual says he created the four castles. Dracula doesn't seem to have had anything to do with that.

This actually had a concrete answer, holy shit. So, maybe this is a "Richter/Maxim got possessed and conjured Castles out of their own will" kinda deal?

[Nagumo]

I didn't even think of the Maxim connenction. You could definitely tie it in with that. However, I also thought of something else.

So, Dracula brainwashed Soleiyu and turned him into his lackey so he could be revived by Soleiyu's holy powers, right? That makes it possible Soleiyu was also responsible Soleiyu was responsible for the revival of Dracula's castle. Then I suddenly remembered there's actually a game that downright confirms the Belmont family has the power to bring back Dracula's castle! Namely, Curse of Darkness.

Hector gets manipulated into breaking the seal located in the Infinite Corridor and this act results in Dracula's castle coming back. The blood of the Belmonts acts as a key to this place and I believe it's implied Trevor was the one who put that seal there. Which makes we wonder if Soleiyu was actually hanging out in the Infinite Corridor, trying to break the seal, while Christopher was fighting through the four castles.

Also, it would explain how the castle shows up in SotN before Dracula was even revived: Richter was the one who broke the seal which allowed Dracula's castle to return. 

[zangetsu468]

From SOTN's prologue:

"With no idea of where to begin her search, Maria Renard set out to look for him. It was then that fate intervened. Castlevania, the castle of Dracula, which is rumored to appear once every century, suddenly materialized from out of the mist as if to show her the way."

Makes sense Nagumo. Both were also 'under the influence' of dark forces.

The only question I have would be is the first (non inverted) Castle, Castlevania?
Both Castles are connected via the throne room, share the same areas etc, but are they one and the same?

[theplottwist]

So, Dracula brainwashed Soleiyu and turned him into his lackey so he could be revived by Soleiyu's holy powers, right? That makes it possible Soleiyu was also responsible Soleiyu was responsible for the revival of Dracula's castle. Then I suddenly remembered there's actually a game that downright confirms the Belmont family has the power to bring back Dracula's castle! Namely, Curse of Darkness.

This is exactly what I thought about with my headcanon comment up there. Though I also imagined that the castles were the seal themselves, which Dracula summoned to force Christopher on destroying the boss monsters and thus destroying the seal. This would work with the castles "appearing as if to protect Soleiyu."

The only question I have would be is the first (non inverted) Castle, Castlevania?
Both Castles are connected via the throne room, share the same areas etc, but are they one and the same?

I, personally, believe it wasn't. We've seen people possessed by the darkness conjure castles that look damn well like Dracula's true castle (namely, again, Maxim). IF Soleiyu created the four castles, as the manual says, then this confirms that a Belmont under evil influence can conjure a castle full of monsters no problem.

[zangetsu468]

But it also says the 4 castles appeared as if to protect Soleiyu. Protect him from what exactly?

If the theory is put forth that he was indeed trying to break the seal in the infinite corridor then why would he require protection? It sounds implied that the 4 castles appeared in response to his disappearance rather than the IC. Like whatever generated the castles was against his will.

I'm also not discounting the Maxim thing entirely, but Maxim is no Belmont and he had Dracula's remains which played their role in that scenario. So when I look at this situation it's really down to Soleiyu or Richter "creating" castles.

[Super Waffle]

Someone split Dracula up into multiple pieces again (four specifically) and each body part got its own castle.

[Crying Freeman]

I always assumed the castles appeared as a back up: Chris destroys them, releasing the spirits, so that if his plan to use Soleiyu doesn't work out he still has the castle spirits to reach his power. I never knew there was a real explanation in the manual or Japanese version, let alone possible links to later games, but these explanations link together really nicely! 

[Lumi Kløvstad]

I didn't even think of the Maxim connenction. You could definitely tie it in with that. However, I also thought of something else.

So, Dracula brainwashed Soleiyu and turned him into his lackey so he could be revived by Soleiyu's holy powers, right? That makes it possible Soleiyu was also responsible Soleiyu was responsible for the revival of Dracula's castle. Then I suddenly remembered there's actually a game that downright confirms the Belmont family has the power to bring back Dracula's castle! Namely, Curse of Darkness.

Hector gets manipulated into breaking the seal located in the Infinite Corridor and this act results in Dracula's castle coming back. The blood of the Belmonts acts as a key to this place and I believe it's implied Trevor was the one who put that seal there. Which makes we wonder if Soleiyu was actually hanging out in the Infinite Corridor, trying to break the seal, while Christopher was fighting through the four castles.

Also, it would explain how the castle shows up in SotN before Dracula was even revived: Richter was the one who broke the seal which allowed Dracula's castle to return.

This is absolutely genius. Color me convinced!

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

It seems that if people have enough magical power imbued into them, they have the power to create structures.
Carmilla makes a castle similar to Dracula's, in Austria.
Elizabeth Barley makes a castle of her own, in England.
Even Celia and her cult create a castle whose Catacombs are damn-near identical to Drac's.

It also seems that Corrupted/Possessed/Brainwashed characters that also possess magical abilities, have been used to create structures to serve their masters.

-Would Isaac work for this?  Not sure how those areas he was around in, were there before him being all wonky.
-Soleiyu is a good example.  He becomes corrupted and creates the structures.
-Maxim, using Dracula's Relics.
-Richter can qualify.  Who's to say his corruption by Shaft's Ghost isn't what causes HIM to bring the Castle back, himself?  Shaft does say he makes him 'Lord of this Castle'.
-Would Brauner work for this?  Brauner uses his powers to create AND SEAL Dracula's Castle.  Weiiird.

So yeah.