Simon Belmont
† Has been a playable character more times than any other character in the series.
† Has also appeared in other series more than any other CV character.
† His hair color has been red, brown, blond and black throughout his appearances.
† The only enemy of Dracula that has resurrected him intentionally and fully sane.
† Simon was one of the characters of the 90’s cartoon Captain N The Game Master. There are no kind of similarities between the characters, however; the show’s Simon is a vain, dumb and cowardly surfer.
Playable:
Vampire Killer
Castlevania
Simon’s Quest
Haunted Castle
Super Castlevania 4
Akumajou Dracula X6800
Castlevania Chronicles
Harmony of Dissonance (unlockable)
Judgment
The one Belmont..
As a video game character Simon was the first Castlevania protagonist. In the series’ own continuity, he was after Christopher Belmont. If one were to pick a character recognized even by those unfamiliar with the series, it could be put like this: Simon Belmont is to Castlevania what Super Mario is to Nintendo. He is without a doubt one of the most well known or perhaps even the most known Castlevania character.
Simon has starred in nine Castlevania titles, though four of them are different versions of the original Castlevania (plus the updated Chronicles-version of Akumajou Dracula). The translated Japanese intro of Haunted Castle confirms that the protagonist of the game is Simon and that the vampire is Dracula.
Little is known about Simon’s own family, as is the case with many other Belmonts. One of the endings of Simon’s Quest speaks of a young man who is the only hope against Dracula after Simon’s death. The man is not directly mentioned as being a Belmont, but it would make sense if he were Simon’s own son. Simon’s wife Serena was introduced in Haunted Castle. Juste Belmont is Simon’s grandson and judging by what he knows about the events of Simon’s Quest, Juste probably knew Simon personally.
Castlevania (1987) – 1691
Dracula rose from the beyond, tormented by his curse, in the year 1691. The dark count’s presence began affecting his homeland immediately and the people desperately sought a savior. This would naturally be a member of the honored and esteemed Belmont family, a young man called Simon. With his magical whip Simon cleared his way through Dracula’s army of monsters with the intention of reaching the highest tower of the dark lord’s castle.
Simon vanquished Dracula and a 100 year peace was expected. Transylvania and the rest of the world continued their existence without the threat of the lord of vampires, but only seven years later Simon’s personal ordeals continued.
Simon’s Quest (1988) – 1698
Having learned at least something from his mistakes, Dracula had placed a curse on Simon before defeat. Slowly something began gnawing the man inside but the reason became clear only after a spirit appeared to Simon. The spirit told Simon of the Count’s latest plan of a deadly curse. The body parts would have to be destroyed in a sacrifial urn before the damage done by the curse became fatal. This would be Simon’s new mission. The survival of the Belmont clan and therefore the battle against Dracula depended on its success.
To lift the curse Simon traveled across Transylvania clad in an armor searching for the the hidden body parts and artifacts of the Count. These were Dracula’s only earthly manifestations at the time through which he channeled his dark powers. They had to be found and destroyed. Dracula’s power still continued to affect the land even with its wielder trapped in the netherworld. The vampire’s minions swarmed the land, doing everything to stop the man trying to destroy their master.
Exhausted and carrying the five morbid, cursed remains of Dracula, Simon made his way to the ruins of the Count’s castle. After placing the eye, the ring, the rib, the nail and the heart on an altar, he set them all on fire. Though the intention was to destroy Dracula’s last remains, Simon knew exactly what would rise from the ashes one last time. Simon was not in his prime – the curse had done what it was supposed to do so far. But the tormented soul of Dracula manifesting from the smoke wasn’t in much better condition either.
Utilizing the magical artifacts he had attained during his quest, the Vampire Killer and of course the mystical powers of his bloodline, Simon was able to defeat the practically immaterial Dracula. The curse was gone, Dracula was defeated and Simon was free to live out the rest of his life.
Other games
In the real world he returned to the bits with the help of Super Nintendo, in the form of Super Castlevania IV. For a long time the game was considered quite logically a retelling of Castlevania. This was finally confirmed by Konami’s updated Castlevania chronology.
Vampire Killer can be considered another version of CV – sort of like a prototype of the Famicom/NES game (Vampire Killer was in many ways more advanced, though). The same can be said of Haunted Castle, which came after Simon’s Quest. Though both of them lack the Castlevania title outside Japan, both of their original names contain the Akumajou Dracula title and are therefore CV games without the Castlevania name.
Simon had a hidden appearance in Harmony of Dissonance as an unlockable, non-canonical playable character. Simon’s appearance was similar to the NES Castlevania, complete with the rigid controls. He is also known for his several cameos in other video game series. The latest was in Hudson’s Dream Mix TV Fighters (2003), a beat em’ up in which characters from different series and different companies fough each other. Konami was represented by Simon and Solid Snake from Metal Gear Solid. Simon’s appearance in the game is similar to his Chronicles version.
Simon is a playable fighter in Judgment. Wielding the Vampire Killer, he seems fiercely competitive with Trevor and his story mode consists mostly of him seeking to challenge his legendary ancestor in a duel. This is the first time he has a speaking role in any game.
Popularity
Naturally there is no point in speculating and speaking for the majority but Simon is probably, if not the most popular Belmont, very close to the top. Naturally this is because he is connected to the series so strongly, being the first playable character in the series. During the time Akumajou Dracula was published, the intention probably wasn’t creating a whole game series around the Belmont clan or any other constant enemy of Dracula. The first game could have been considered one of its kind and therefore Simon could have been the only one to roam the castle killing monsters with an enchanted whip.
As we all know, the game didn’t remain a one-shot, but Simon’s popularity continued to grow later. Perhaps some sort of Sean Connery -phenomenon emerged – Simon was and is “the only true first Belmont” to many.
Appearance
What is Simon’s hair color? Eye color? Difficult to say, as he has been immortalized looking very different, depending on the game and its current makers. Certain characteristics have been repeated, though. For example: long hair, armor and a head ornament (or a bandanna).
In the golden age of the 80’s Nintendo was greatly influenced by movies and popular culture in general. The cover art of Castlevania bears resemblance to Conan The Barbarian, for example. Simon is muscular and longhaired, wearing metallic bracelets and an upper body armor. In-game, however, his appearance is very different from the cover art version, unlike in Akumajou Dracula X6800 and Super Castlevania IV, both in which the man’s appearance is according to the aforementioned cover art. (and Vampire Killer, since the cover is the same as that of Castlevania, but mirrored).
In the cover of Simon’s Quest his hair style is very much like He-Man’s: blond with the front cut short and of course, sporting a mullet. This time Simon has a fairly regal looking full body armor; it seems to have jewels encrusted on the chest and waist. In-game the armor is present, but red and Simon’s hair is black and short. His skin looks more natural than before and overall he looks more human, unlike in Castlevania. Ironically, his SQ sprite looks more like the Vampire Killer version rather than the Castlevania version.
In the beginning of the 2000’s, Castlevania character illustrations started changing. Simon’s armor and rugged appearance was cast aside to make way for the visions of Ayami Kojma. Simon’s long hair returned, but this time coloured red. The protective battle gear and barbaric outfit was replaced by some sort of black fur and long, black boots. Overall, all this made Simon look younger than the previous versions. He looks to be in his 20’s, which likely is how old he was during the events of CV. In the cover art of the 80’s his face is more weather-beaten, making him look over 30.
In Judgment, he mostly resembles the Chronicles version. The hair is red, but a bit shorter this time. The clothing is replaced by an armor resembling a mixture of leather and metal which left his upper body exposed.
Powers and abilities
Simon is one of the Belmonts whose power stems primarily from physical strength (unlike Juste, for example, who employs more magical abilities). He uses a basic arsenal of magical weapons and artifacts and has no distinct special ability. Simon’s Quest presented some exceptions to his usual means of combat; during the game, Simon improves the Vampire Killer ultimately turning it into a flaming weapon. A similar flame whip has been used by fellow Belmonts Richter and Leon but also by Nathan Graves, who is not a Belmont descendant (nor a canonical character). But unlike them, Simon buys the flame upgrade instead of acquiring it in battle.