Topic: The Phantom of the Opera: Sir-Not-Appearing-in-this-Franchise

[Lumi Kløvstad]

With all of Castlevania's early love letters to classic Universal and Hammer Horror flicks, it bugs me that the Phantom of the Opera never appeared, especially when the character as-written by Gaston Leroux has all the makings of a great Castlevania character.

As I understand it, Dracula's early designs were supposed to have some references to Erik the Phantom, particularly in Super Castlevania IV, but I can't remember where I read that (probably on the Anti Chapel ages back).

Anyway, topic and discuss.

[KaZudra]

It'll be pretty hard to implement him, the story itself and the heavy WW1 vet allusions were what drove the horror.
Then again, a flamboyant psychopathic Post-war Vet Opera singer seems like a great character to add in castlevania

[Dracula9]

...what version of Phantom of the Opera are you reading/watching where Erik is a World War I veteran? The original novel was published four years before the war even started.

Nothing in the story even remotely hints at Erik being a veteran of any war, save his own psychological and social one.

[X]

I think the Phantom of the Opera could have some merit in CV. But only after he dies and becomes a true phantom. Otherwise the Belmont in question get set up for murder. That would not look good on the résumé post Dracula fight.

[Lumi Kløvstad]

That would not look good on the résumé post Dracula fight.

Didn't work out all that well for Abraham Van Helsing in the 1930's either.

Dracula's Daughter was kind of an interesting flick, by the way.

[Dracula9]

You know what would be an interesting place for him?

That dancing ghost couple we've seen come back over the series? That's Raoul and Christine, and guess why they're ghosts.

Basically, the dance-hall-type sharp-dressed ghosts. That's a good place for him.

[Lumi Kløvstad]

Too bad we can't inform Konami of our brilliant findings. They'd probably sue us for stealing from their bestelling novel, The Phantom of the Opera, that they don't actually own and just assume they do.

[zangetsu468]

Play the first stage of Vampyre: Master of Darkness for the Sega Master System. The boss strongly resembles him.

I never got the hype about this character tbh. Some guy who hangs out in dark places and plays a piano (abridged version of course) I would be much more afraid of Wolfgang Krauser or OOT Ganondorf if his "organ" is his best weapon

[X]

That dancing ghost couple we've seen come back over the series? That's Raoul and Christine, and guess why they're ghosts.

I'm only familiar with Paula Abghoul and Fred Ascare; the dancing couple boss from SCV4

[Lumi Kløvstad]

Play the first stage of Vampyre: Master of Darkness for the Sega Master System. The boss strongly resembles him.

I never got the hype about this character tbh. Some guy who hangs out in dark places and plays a piano (abridged version of course) I would be much more afraid of Wolfgang Krauser or OOT Ganondorf if his "organ" is his best weapon

If you've read the book (or seen the musical-- he actually translated pretty well to it), the guy is a genius manipulative and seductive mastermind, cunning duelist with a blade, fond of traps (both physical and psychological), and snappy dresser who could easily be just as dangerous as Dracula himself, and without using any supernatural tricks to boot. Everything Erik pulls is either psychological or practical, but it makes him seem supernatural, especially to victims who were already ready to believe that he was.

He was basically Batman before there was even Batman.

Sadly, a Belmont would likely fall into that same trap (at least for a time) because so many of Dracula's servants ARE supernatural.

Furthermore, Dracula could lure a guy like Erik to his side pretty easily by promising him a new world where he'd be accepted despite his disfigurement. I mean, there's a reason Dracula never has a shortage of human followers after all.

So anyway, that's how I thought he might figure into the games. He'd probably be a character like Olrox, who has his own portion of the Castle,  one laden with traps and confusing/misdirecting stage design and a whole lot of secret passages and rooms where you could find loot squirreled away.

The boss fight would be a straight up duel, I think. Demon form courtesy of Dracula optional.

[zangetsu468]

I was joking of course, but that's interesting. Sounds like an evil version of V for Vendetta. That guy could instigate cities to go to war by himself.

I always recall the theatrical release as a young child and never quite understood it. So my knowledge on it is based on lack of information and the Simpsons spoof where Martin became the PotO.

[zangetsu468]

I was joking of course, but that's interesting. Sounds like an evil version of V for Vendetta. That guy could instigate cities to go to war by himself.

I always recall the theatrical release as a young child and never quite understood it. So my knowledge on it is based on lack of information and the Simpsons spoof where Martin became the PotO.

[DragonSlayr81]

Regardless of Erik not being supernatural, CV series has a way of tweaking characters and history to make it its own. He could be some "demonspawn" taken under Dracula's wing and given dominion over Dracula's "theater"(maybe have another "area" similar to LoI's Ghostly Theater or the Theater in LoS2. The Phantom could fight with a sword, sending energy slash projectiles at a "Belmont", teleporting in bursts of smoke(think similar to Nightcrawler from the X-Men). That's how I thought it could be, though. I always wanted him to appear in the CV series too. Him and the vampire from London After Midnight.

[X]

He could also remove his mask, thus relieving his true and more terrifying form.

[chainsawmidget]

I've always loved the Phantom of the Opera.  By that, I mean the REAL Phantom of the Opera, the deranged, horribly deformed, creepy manipulative stalker that built torture chambers and traps for his enemies, not the romantic misunderstood good-looking excpet for a couple small blemishes type that keeps getting used. 

Having the Phantom actually become a Phantom after his death wouldn't be that unbelievable.  If Dracula can have a coliseum in his castle, surely he can have his own Opera house.  He's gotta do something for entertainment right?  You can only go to the library or terrorize the populace so many times before you need something different. 

I can actually see the Phantom having his own area of the castle filled with traps and secret passages, with him periodically appearing to taunt you (yet staying out of reach.)