Topic: What marks a person as a Dark Lord Candidate?

[Dracula9]

Are you mocking the pimp coat?

[zangetsu468]

I thought Soma's fashion sense and hair was much better in AoS... He literally went from 'Mathias Jackson' to "Johnny Out-of-his-Deppth" 

[TheTextGuy]

I thought Soma's fashion sense and hair was much better in AoS... He literally went from 'Mathias Jackson' to "Johnny Out-of-his-Deppth" 

Does Soma really walk around in public wearing his DoS boots?  They're really tacky.  I think I'd take his AoS shoes anyday.

I think that "power" might have been a gun -- Aria itself demonstrates that firearms are effective weapons against the legions of Chaos, and I'm not just talking the game-breakingly uberpowered Positron Rifle either. That handgund that Soma can pick up (a 9 mil too!) can seriously dish out the hurt to even boss level characters when used properly.

Which makes me wonder... what would happen if the shotgun was introduced as a weapon called "The Boomstick"?

[Shiroi Koumori]

In the novel, the castle itself is referred to as "Legion" AND as a replica of Dracula's castle (initially thought to be the true castle). Not only it is composed from the bodies of the many Graham followers, but it actually comes alive at a certain point to try to kill the protagonists.

Yup yup. The climax battle proves that the castle is made up of corpses (both humans and monsters). ewww.
If you forgot the link to Ricordanza, just look at my signature.

Are you mocking the pimp coat?

Never mock the pimp coat! Hahaha. Actually I think Kojima made Soma wear that coat due to the fact that it somehow mirrors Matthias' robes in LoI. Dat fur!

[zangetsu468]

Shiroi, who takes part in the final battle?

If it is Julius is he still in his "Jamnesia" state at that time, which means he didn't have the VK?

[theplottwist]

Shiroi, who takes part in the final battle?

If it is Julius is he still in his "Jamnesia" state at that time, which means he didn't have the VK?

This story happens after Aria and Dawn, thus Julius has his memory and the whip. As for who takes part in it:

(click to show/hide)

From the heroes side: Death-possessed Curtis Lang and Michelle Danasty. Julius is inside the castle, but is not exactly fighting the "final boss".

From the villain side: Olrox and Legion.

[X]

Actually I think Kojima made Soma wear that coat due to the fact that it somehow mirrors Matthias' robes in LoI. Dat fur!

Not quite since AoS was produced before LoI. And YES I'm MOKIN' the coat 

What marks a person as a Dark Lord Candidate?

I think this pertains to someone who taps into the darkness in their own hearts beyond what is normally capable of. They push it to the breaking point until they become something other then a mere human being. Kinda like forcing a type of evolution on yourself, but one that's unnatural.

[Lelygax]

I think this pertains to someone who taps into the darkness in their own hearts beyond what is normally capable of. They push it to the breaking point until they become something other then a mere human being. Kinda like forcing a type of evolution on yourself, but one that's unnatural.

You think that it is what happened with Brauner? They seem to explain something similar.

[theplottwist]

You think that it is what happened with Brauner? They seem to explain something similar.

This is a complicated issue.

The english manual says that it was Dracula's Castle which awakened his powers:


Yet, in-game script flat out contradicts this, by saying Brauner's powers were awakened by his grief alone:

Eric: Brauner lost his real daughters in World War One. His anger and grief awakened his hidden power, which he used to become a vampire.

So, I tend to value the in-game script above the english manuals, and the japanese manuals above every other source. Which leads me to ask for a favor: Can any of you japanese-speaking guys translate Brauner's official japanese bio?



EDIT: Okay so I managed to "translate" more or less what this says. It says that Brauner became a vampire during the first World War. So there is NO WAY IN HELL the castle "awakened his powers" or turned him into a vampire. This happened many years before (as, again, Eric hints on the in-game script).

But a proper translation will be welcome

[Nagumo]

Yeah, exactly. The relevant line is as follows: "The father of Stella and Loretta, and an artist who became a vampire during the course of World War I."

[Lumi Kløvstad]

Yeah, exactly. The relevant line is as follows: "The father of Stella and Loretta, and an artist who became a vampire during the course of World War I."

Liz Bartley really got good with making misery infectious, didn't she?

Still, it explains why the Castle responded so positively to Brauner after he locked away Dracula's influence. In the absence of Dracula, Brauner's grief-cum-rage plus vampiric power probably made him into a more than qualified Dark Lord Candidate.

I wonder whether Dracula or Brauner would have been more dangerous in that role by that point in time.

This also creates a viable explanation for why the Castle responded well to Evil Maxim and Corrupted!Richter. In the case of Maxim, his (easily corrupted) desire to protect Lydie and best Juste + Dracula's worst character traits would cook up an ideal person to become a Dark Lord. In Richter's case, the power of a Belmont, the skill of one of their strongest descendents, and Shaft's partly magical, partly psychological more than mind control had the potential to create an even stronger Dark Lord than Dracula. Fortunate then that Maria and Alucard were able to break Shaft's active corruption when they did.

Really, either one would have been a superb Dark Lord.

In the later context of modern Castlevania, I think it's pretty obvious that resurrecting Dracula might have been Shaft's original plan, but eventually it shifted to creating a new Dark Lord that could surpass Dracula. That's at least what I took home from Shaft's dialogue with Alucard. After Alucard defeated Richter (botching the "new Dark Lord" scheme), Shaft defaulted to resurrecting Dracula. And in a horrid coincidence of fate, Alucard had already done all the legwork required for that task and had also kindly brought all of Dracula's remains to one convenient spot, enabling the resurrection.

Nice job breaking it, hero.

[theplottwist]

I wonder whether Dracula or Brauner would have been more dangerous in that role by that point in time.

Well. Brauner succeeded in killing a very experient vampire hunter. Dracula, though...

[theplottwist]

In Richter's case, the power of a Belmont, the skill of one of their strongest descendents, and Shaft's partly magical, partly psychological more than mind control had the potential to create an even stronger Dark Lord than Dracula. Fortunate then that Maria and Alucard were able to break Shaft's active corruption when they did.

OK an important point here: Richter wasn't meant to be turned into the Dark Lord, but to be a sacrifice for Dracula. He was placed as a guard so Shaft could do the preparations, and ultimatelly sacrifice him. This is better clarified in the japanese version of SotN and in the PSP script rewrite. Alucard saved Richter from becoming a sacrifice, so Shaft simply modified his plans a little and decided to sacrifice Alucard's human side instead.

[Lumi Kløvstad]

OK an important point here: Richter wasn't meant to be turned into the Dark Lord, but to be a sacrifice for Dracula. He was placed as a guard so Shaft could do the preparations, and ultimatelly sacrifice him. This is better clarified in the japanese version of SotN and in the PSP script rewrite. Alucard saved Richter from becoming a sacrifice, so Shaft simply modified his plans a little and decided to sacrifice Alucard's human side instead.

Eh, agree to disagree on that plot point. I think that definitely was the original plan, but I do believe Shaft had made some adjustments after seeing how well Richter was working out. And then Alucard blew that plan to hell and Shaft basically went

Well dammit. Guess I should have seen that coming. Back to the original plan then. Only this time I don't have my awesome Belmont sacrifice, so instead I'll sacrifice half of Alucard's DNA (somehow; memo: work on gene splitting magic) and half his soul (again, memo: work on soul-splitting magic. Maybe Zobek in that next universe over knows a trick or two about that. Inquire. After I have developed inter-universe communication). Surely that will bring Dracula back. Oh wait he came back anyway, and I am killed by Alucard. Curses. Foiled again. Except totally not really. I am awesome.

[Lelygax]

OK an important point here: Richter wasn't meant to be turned into the Dark Lord, but to be a sacrifice for Dracula. He was placed as a guard so Shaft could do the preparations, and ultimatelly sacrifice him. This is better clarified in the japanese version of SotN and in the PSP script rewrite. Alucard saved Richter from becoming a sacrifice, so Shaft simply modified his plans a little and decided to sacrifice Alucard's human side instead.

Ditto, even on the english PS1 version it is clear that he was only gaining time and using Richter as a watchdog. But it seems that Shaft didn't really needed to sacrifice him or Alucard, it would only speed up the process.