Topic: Dracula's vulnerability to sunlight makes no sense

[Shinobi]

I thought that the game made it abundantly clear that the never-ending night was far more the Ebony Stone's doing than Walter's.

The Sun began "rising" (more likely the magical dome/field/aura over the forest began dissipating) after the Ebony Stone was compromised. Any vampire who possessed the working Ebony Stone would have been allowed the same benefits of invincibility against ordinary weapons and a permanent nightfall following them wherever they went.

As a side note, that it was the Ebony Stone that made Walter immune to attacks from any weapon aside from the Vampire Killer might explain why Dracula can be injured or even felled by regular weaponry (and has been on several occasions): the Crimson Stone is amazingly powerful at what it does, but invulnerability just plain isn't one of those things. If Dracula ever had been able to possess both stones (which may have been Mathias' original intent), he would have been very nearly unstoppable against any but the wielder of the Vampire Killer.

I was originally to comment that it has something to do with Ebony stone than just Walter alone, then again the sunlight hasn't fully returned yet once it was destroyed by Leon. As for Dracula, his crimson stone as well as combination of his powers can create eternal darkness but it's territory could be much more wider like the whole Europe in Dracula's Curse.

[zangetsu468]

I was originally to comment that it has something to do with Ebony stone than just Walter alone, then again the sunlight hasn't fully returned yet once it was destroyed by Leon.

Wrong. When Leon beats Walter you hear something shattering like glass. This is the Ebony Stone. Mathias, prior to leaving states that "daybreak is coming" and leaves Death to fight Leon.

If the Ebony Stone's power was still intact at that point, Mathias wouldn't have left.
Hypothetically if both Death and Mathias had fought Leon, there's less of a chance he would have survived.

[Shinobi]

Wrong. When Leon beats Walter you hear something shattering like glass. This is the Ebony Stone. Mathias, prior to leaving states that "daybreak is coming" and leaves Death to fight Leon.

If the Ebony Stone's power was still intact at that point, Mathias wouldn't have left.
Hypothetically if both Death and Mathias had fought Leon, there's less of a chance he would have survived.

I was saying that it wasn't just the ebony stone that creates or maintain the eternal night but also Walter's presence as well, when Leon already destroyed the ebony stone as I've already said, the night is still on Walter's side as he said before the real boss fight with him.
The morning was slowly returning as noted by Mathias only just right after Walter was killed for good and his soul was captured by death to create crimson stone.

[Lumi Kløvstad]

I was saying that it wasn't just the ebony stone that creates or maintain the eternal night but also Walter's presence as well, when Leon already destroyed the ebony stone as I've already said, the night is still on Walter's side as he said before the real boss fight with him.
The morning was slowly returning as noted by Mathias only just right after Walter was killed for good and his soul was captured by death to create crimson stone.

I really don't think so man. "I am beloved by the Night" and "With my power, I will SURELY come back to life!" sound like pretty bog-standard evil-dying-and-desperate gloating. I doubt there's much substance behind it, or he would have said it much more confidently or even more likely he wouldn't have even brought it up at all. Even Dracula, when he addresses future resurrections says it in a tone of "Aww shucks you win this round, Belmont. I'll see you next time though! But not YOU specifically because you'll probably have aged to death. I'll give your regards to your descendants though."

Walter says these things because he knows they aren't true for him but he's trying to hold onto his delusions of grandeur before he dies.

Like I've said before: not everything in Castlevania has to actually mean what is said, especially when it comes to an untouchable supervillain who has discovered for the first time that he is vulnerable and that his opponent truly represents a real threat to his very life. People can be delusional, mistaken, or even out-and-out lie.

By the time Leon confronts him in the throne room, Walter is scared to death, and tries to act tough because he finally realizes he went squishy underneath his "armor" that was provided by the Ebony Stone decades or even centuries prior. He just hadn't been able to feel it before because how could he when the Stone made him invincible? Suddenly, alone, without allies or true friends, facing an enemy he soberingly knows has the capacity to truly destroy him, Walter is without the crutch he has come to depend upon to even function.  So he blusters. He talks up his own game.

"YOU CAN'T KILL ME! I AM WALTER BERNHARD! WALTER GODDAMN BERNHARD! THE DARK LORD! I'M BELOVED BY THE NIGHT! INVINCIBLE! YOU CANNOT POSSIBLY IN ANY WAY HARM-- okay you've killed me. BUT THAT DOESN'T MATTER! Death is cheap! Obviously I'll come back to life! I'm just that great! I'm too bishonen to stay dead-- *Death harvests his soul* ...well shit..."

Unfortunately for Walter, that's all it is. It's just bluster. As we find out, though he was indeed a powerful vampire even without his Ebony Stone crutch, there was nothing special about him. Whether Death had intervened or not, it was clear Leon had fatally wounded Walter and he would have died either way.

It's actually very realistic writing that accurately portrays how powerful, untouchable men face death as soon as they realize that none of their power matters when death comes figuratively knocking at their door. Political sway, henchmen, money, industry, armies or empires that one might rule over will do nothing to halt death. And Jameison Price's wonderful VA really sells it. Walter is used to being unstoppable, but it was the Ebony Stone that was unstoppable, not him. Only finally realizing this as he's in his last moments means he doesn't exactly face death with dignity.

It's either that BRILLIANT writing, or incredibly lazy writing if you're correct. If he IS beloved by the night, all that narrative intelligence and brilliance goes away, and Walter reverts to being another generic example of "Off the Shelf Stock Supervillain/Final Boss #384"

So I'm gonna stick with my explanation, because it makes Walter a phenomenally well written and executed character instead of a drab cookie cutter poor-man's Dracula stand-in.

[zangetsu468]

Nice rant Bloody Rayne

Shinobi, you have to consider something else also and that is the following:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCWyrE3tDiM

- Walter chills his castle encased in eternal night, due to the ebony stone.
- Before the fight starts Walter says "But I am beloved by the night"... Leon replies "I will kill you AND THE NIGHT!" (this happens before the Ebony Stone breaks)...
- 6:10 The Ebony Stone breaks, Walter looks around where its shards have fallen/ disintegrated
- 6:14 Leon says "Now, there is nothing left to protect you!"
- 6:23 Walter says "Not yet.. The Power of the night is still full. I shall teach you the meaning of true terror."
- Walter is defeated after part 2 of the fight.
- Mathias arrives, Walter's soul is absorbed by Death into the Crimson Stone.
- Mathias tries to convince Leon to join his cause
- When daybreak comes Mathias states it and leaves Leon to fight Death.

When the Ebony Stone broke, it just happened to still be night. Walter says that the night is still full.
It just so happened that when Mathias arrived, daybreak happened shortly after.

The Ebony Stone's power was never intact after Leon destroyed it.

[Lumi Kløvstad]

Nice rant Bloody Rayne

Ranting is one of my favorite hobbies. I should get paid for it.

[Super Waffle]

Maybe Dracula's just a huge nerd and he can't stand being outside of his mom's basement.