Topic: Vampire Hunter D's influence on the series

[Crying Freeman]

-Doris' whip
-D is basically SOTN Alucard before SOTN Alucard
-Floor crumbling, leading to a water and skeleton filled catacomb
-Castle crumbling after head vampire's death
-D jumping into the castle via the drawbridge (Richter more acurately represents this scene as he's on horseback)
-D fights a giant Golem
-CV4's opening animation has a very similar music cue to VHD's opening (after Dracula flies away from his grave, and idk if I'm going too far with this lol)
-Huge variety of monsters in the Castle
-Lee's castle seems to have inspired Castlevania's look on certain box arts and game menus in the metroidvania era
-Premise: Action filled afair using an errie, western horror inspired asthetic, with a lone hero entering town to eliminate the threatening vampire and hordes of deadly, varried monsters

I'm sure a lot more. Castlevania really does feel like an unofficial VHD game series sometimes, ESPECIALLY in SOTN.

[Dracula9]

Dracula's suggested power extent (we just never see that much of it in CV because "haha I whipped your face before you woke up all the way", outside of what the DCW implies).

Seriously. Dude's practically god in VHD.

[theplottwist]

There's an interview where IGA outright confirms the Vampire Hunter D influence on Alucard, but denies it's influence early in the series (so that would include Doris). I don't remember precisely what interview he mentioned both of these informations, I'll look it up.

But I think there is more on this influence, specially on Dracula, as D9 said.

EDIT: Frikkin' found it.


Now, IGA wasn't involved back then. They may have taken inspiration but we only have his word to follow, and I suppose he had access to inside information. So there's that.

[X]

IGA cannot speak for the series prior to his involvement. So I'd take that interview with a grain of salt. But Vampire Hunter D wasn't the only thing to inspire the series. The Lupin III movie has a dead-ringer castle (and area) befitting CV III. Until recently I had no idea that that was the case. I was only familiar with Vampire Hunter D at the time.

[Crying Freeman]

My thoughts as well, X. Iga's first involvement was Rondo if I remember correctly, and I doubt he spoke to a lot of the original cast. Cagliostro is also a huge inspiration, such as the Ancient Greek stage, the clock tower and the aqueduct as well as parts of the castle crumbling. I feel like both Cagliostro and the books or movie of VHD have had some influence on the devs of Castlevania early on.

I also forgot to mention the way Magnus Lee sits in his throne is exactly how Drac sits in his chair in Chronicles, but idk if that's me looking too far into it lol

[Dracula9]

I wouldn't count the visual adaptations of VHD material for that sort of thing. Sitting on a throne with crossed legs raising a glass isn't something new, after all.

[Crying Freeman]

Yeah I think I'm just scavenging at this point lol

[zangetsu468]

The biggest one in my mind Freeman has hit on the head, D minus his talking hand is very similar to Alucard. (If anyone has watched Amon Saga there's a character who looks very similar to D - though non vampiric - called Ecuna; the wandering poet and master swordsman. Alucard reminds me if a cross between D and Amon, who was also a beautiful man.)

[TatteredSeraph]

It's interesting to note as well that there are points where Amano pretty much depicts D as a blonde rather than having black hair, as he's described in the books.  This to me only heightens the comparisons between Alucard and D.

[Crying Freeman]

The biggest one in my mind Freeman has hit on the head, D minus his talking hand is very similar to Alucard. (If anyone has watched Amon Saga there's a character who looks very similar to D - though non vampiric - called Ecuna; the wandering poet and master swordsman. Alucard reminds me if a cross between D and Amon, who was also a beautiful man.)

That and Sonia-Doris are the two main things. I doubt the whip was a coincidence, but who knows. Btw, Amon Saga looked pretty interesting, I'm looking to check it out

[zangetsu468]

That and Sonia-Doris are the two main things. I doubt the whip was a coincidence, but who knows. Btw, Amon Saga looked pretty interesting, I'm looking to check it out

It's one of the more obscure titles I've collected over the years, but I haven't managed to see the original Japanese version. The dub is still decent for its time though and one of the supporting characters is voiced by the same actor who voiced mad bull.

[Crying Freeman]

It's one of the more obscure titles I've collected over the years, but I haven't managed to see the original Japanese version. The dub is still decent for its time though and one of the supporting characters is voiced by the same actor who voiced mad bull.

Obscure shit is pretty much what I'm into lol, and Amon Saga fits the bill. Still haven't seen Mad Bull btw.

[zangetsu468]

Obscure shit is pretty much what I'm into lol, and Amon Saga fits the bill. Still haven't seen Mad Bull btw.

If you like that 90's darker, more Americanised anime then Mad Bull is definitely for you.

[Crying Freeman]

Nice, will take a look

[zangetsu468]

I bet Doris was a virgin, Count Magnus Lee loves himself some Virgin Blood.