Topic: Are the Belmonts the only ones to defeat Drac at his full strength?

[Phoenix7786]

Heya all. I've been playing through all the Castlevania games lately, especially the portable ones. And it seems to me like the Belmonts are the only ones to ever defeat a Dracula that has naturally ressurected (as opposed to being prematurely re-summoned). And even then, the list is small. Simon, Trevor, Christopher, Richter, and Julius seem to be the only ones that fought a full-strength Dracula. Juste's adventure was against a mere shadow of Dracula (and even then Drac was prematurely brought back my Maxim). Sonia fought Drac, but her canonicity is questionable. The Drac that Nathan fought seemed pretty well-rested, but he's neither a Belmont nor canon.
Actually I think Sypha, Grant, and Alucard are the only canonical non-Belmonts to battle a full-power Drac--and even then that was at Trevor's side. We know Julius had some help at the 1999 battle, but no concrete names (aside from Mina's relatives and probably Alucard).

[crisis]

Seems like you answered your own question!

[K.G. Morder]

Pretty much.

[Hypocrates]

Quincy Morris and company in the Dracula novel.

He's related to the Belmonts, but not a Belmont himself.

That would be the only time, given the 100 year cycle (Though he can reach full power through ritual if prematurely resurrected).

At least as far as my understanding of how his resurrections work goes.

Oh yeah, and the Dracula Nathan fought apparently wasn't full power either, since they were planning on sacrificing Morris Baldwin for that, and were interrupted.

Though now that I think about it...I think they used Brauner's death to resurrect Dracula at full power in PoR?

[K.G. Morder]

Is the novel a fully powered Dracula though? I mean, he starts out as an old man, obviously having been around not having fed well for a long time. he only starts getting younger and shit once he starts feeding off of the likes of the Demeter crew, and Lucy Westenra. Not to mention it wasn't even Vampire Killer that killed him, but a Bowie knife. Dracula's death is actually rather anticlimactic. He just gets stabbed in the heart with Quincy's knife and dies.

Since the novel is part of the Castlevania canon, (although it remains to be seen if the events transpire exactly the same way) i would go as far as to say he is at his weakest in the novel, aside from maybe CV2, where he's far weaker.

Either way however- the Morrises are still of Belmont lineage. They may be far enough that they cannot fully utilize Vampire Killer, but close enough that they still have the strength to defeat Dracula.

[crisis]

Upon Dracula's defeat at the hands of Jonathan & Charlotte, he yells "One day my powers will be fully revived!" or something like that, pretty much referring to his imminent return in 1999~

1897 is 100 years after 1797(SotN), so Dracula could have been at full power, but we'll never know for sure since a "Bram Stoker's Castlevania" game will likely take a lot of liberties & "do it's own thing" from the novel, so to speak (side not, he was prematurely resurrected by I Forget His Name in OoE, but the game never confirms the exact year). The PoR Timeline Bonus has an entry for 1897, which says "Quincy Morris, Belmont descendant, keeps Dracula at bay." They could've put "1897-Bram Stoker's Dracula" and left it at that, or "1897-Quincy Morris along with Jonathan Harker & Van Helsing go on a quest to rescue yaddayadda." Instead, they left it somewhat ambiguous.

[X]

In my opinion the members of the Belmont clan should be the only ones able to slay Dracula, fully powered or not. I really don't like the idea that anyone who has some sort of power can destroy him. It takes away from what the series is about.

Is the novel a fully powered Dracula though? I mean, he starts out as an old man, obviously having been around not having fed well for a long time. he only starts getting younger and shit once he starts feeding off of the likes of the Demeter crew, and Lucy Westenra. Not to mention it wasn't even Vampire Killer that killed him, but a Bowie knife. Dracula's death is actually rather anticlimactic. He just gets stabbed in the heart with Quincy's knife and dies.

Quincy was able to kill Dracula without the Vampirekiller because he has the Belmont's mystical blood flowing through him. The Vampirekiller makes killing Dracula much easier however it's not really a necessity unless Dracula's at full strength, and he wasn't in the Dracula novel. However if OoE never happened then the time from SotN (1797) and the novel (1897) would have been exactly 100 years and Dracula would be at his full strength. But Quincy would have still killed Dracula so whether or not a Belmont has the Vampirekiller they are still able to slay Dracula via their mystical blood along with the use of their sub-weapons or whatever they have on-hand.

[Nagumo]

And even then, the list is small. Simon, Trevor, Christopher, Richter, and Julius seem to be the only ones that fought a full-strength Dracula. 

You can scrap Trevor from the list. From Judgment:

Dracula: Ah, my long-lost boy. Well met, my son.
Alucard: This will mark the first time I face you at your full strength.
Dracula: Yes, you were with that wretched Belmont, and I had not reached my
full power.

[Thomas Belmont]

In my opinion the members of the Belmont clan should be the only ones able to slay Dracula, fully powered or not. I really don't like the idea that anyone who has some sort of power can destroy him. It takes away from what the series is about.

Totally agree.

You can scrap Trevor from the list. From Judgment:

Dracula: Ah, my long-lost boy. Well met, my son.
Alucard: This will mark the first time I face you at your full strength.
Dracula: Yes, you were with that wretched Belmont, and I had not reached my
full power.

No way is Judgement canon. Besides, even if it was, that conversation between Dracula and Alucard would never have happened because either Trevor or Simon, who ever fought him first, would have defeated Alucard.

[Phoenix7786]

In my opinion the members of the Belmont clan should be the only ones able to slay Dracula, fully powered or not. I really don't like the idea that anyone who has some sort of power can destroy him. It takes away from what the series is about.

I am that way too. That's what led me to thinking who else has canonically defeated him when he at his full strength besides the Belmonts.

[son_the_vampire]

but what about when juste fights phantom drac or whatever... doesnt that mean full power if he is beaten as a ghost and not a vampire??? either way he is always gonna come back

[Phoenix7786]

Maxim had prematurely brought Dracula back for the 2nd time (since Simon did it too), so Dracula barely being able to manifest as a ghost was really good continuity with the lore. Even then though, Juste being a full-fledged Belmont was overkill.

[son_the_vampire]

juste is Overkill no matter what. im sure in Harmony of Despair, soma's use would be cut to a fraction!

[Koutei]

You can scrap Trevor from the list. From Judgment:

Dracula: Ah, my long-lost boy. Well met, my son.
Alucard: This will mark the first time I face you at your full strength.
Dracula: Yes, you were with that wretched Belmont, and I had not reached my
full power.

Since Trevor fought with Dracula, Alucard didn't fight with Dracula.
I guess.

[Shiroi Koumori]

Since Trevor fought with Dracula, Alucard didn't fight with Dracula.
I guess.

Alucard was just a support character during CV3. It is still Trevor that fought Dracula for the most part (if Alucard was present in the finale, he would still just be supporting Trevor).