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Today's miniboss is yet another offering from the Castlevania series and is certain to creep a few people out who haven't already seen this gigantic gob of gore before. The "proper" name for the above boss is Legion, but it has also been billed as Granfaloon in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. As you can plainly see, there is certainly nothing "mini" about this... thing. In fact, it's the second largest enemy you'll encounter in all of Symphony. Lucky you!
 
So, what exactly IS Legion? That's a damn good question, if you ask me. I mean, it's a big, floating ball of faceless cadavers who just love their jobs; looking creepy as all get-out, and eating the brains of intruders. (I hear they recently joined the Union. Let's hope they don't go on strike for their lack of medical benefits.) Anyway, after carving away chunks of bodies, the inner-core (and true form) of Legion is exposed. The core is an enigmatic and lethal cross between a flying squid and a death ray. This may not sound too threatening at first, but ask anyone who has spent some quality time with our corpse-laden comrade just how frustrating things can get when you're trying to take him down.
 
Overall, the fight really isn't challenging until all the bodies have been removed from Legion. This tends to be a lengthy process if you walk into this battle improperly equipped. Hope you've got at least an Axe as a sub-weapon and plenty of hearts. You'll need 'em.
 
What really makes Legion such a notable boss isn't just its larger-than-life size, it is its overall creepiness that heightened the whole fight and made it memorable. You are literally walking on piles of skulls and bodies as you do battle with this unholy abomination. Let's be serious here for a moment, if you walked into a room with a giant, levitating sphere of the deceased, woudn't you just be a bit disturbed? Yeah, that's what I thought.
 
For those of you curious, Legion actually makes its appearance in other Castlevanias, as well. He's one of the hidden bosses in Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, for example. Unfortunatey, the impact just isn't the same in three-dimensions.
 
A mystery still remains unsolved, however. One can only venture a guess as to the origin of such a foul being. I mean, where did all these dead bodies even come from? I believe I might have the answer to this little riddle.
 
The answer is, of course, Chuck Norris.

Continue: More Miniboss Monday stories





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25 comments | showing # 1 to 25

TrailerParkJesus's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/21/2008 11:19
TrailerParkJesus
That... thing gave me nightmares. I think it's part of the reason why I postponed finishing the game for a few years.

Thanks for reminding me.
Ted Belmont's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/21/2008 11:19
Ted Belmont
I'm pretty sure it's Granfaloon, not Granfalcon.
Passionate Styos's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/21/2008 11:24
Passionate Styos
Legion comes from the bible, he was a demon:

Mark 5:9: "And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many."

Anyway, SotN is my favorite game of all time, and seeing this giant pile of rotten corpses just creped me out.

Alsto, the holy water helps a lot to kill the corpses, so you can concentrate your attacks on Legion.
king3vbo's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/21/2008 11:41
king3vbo
The redux of Legion in Portrait of Ruin was so awesome. You drop down and you know a boss fight is coming, and then it appears. That was some epic nostalgia right there.
Snaileb 's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/21/2008 11:41
Snaileb
All those dead people screaming and bursting into flames when they fall off..

Is it bad that I chuckled?
Technophile's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/21/2008 11:46
Technophile
@Ted Belmont

I just came in here to say the same thing. It's granfaloon.

Legion sounds cooler though. :D

This is one of my favorite bosses.
Savant's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/21/2008 11:58
Savant
Sorry folks for the typo! I've always read it as "Granfalcon" - il change it when I can!
Thanks, guys. :)
Bacchus's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/21/2008 11:59
Bacchus
kind of like a giant cheeseball, but instead of nuts, it is rolled in dead guys

YUM!!!
Alanar's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/21/2008 12:07
Alanar
I especially remember the appearance of Legion in Aria of Sorrow, where you go through a bunch of corridors while all the corpses this boss "collects" are walking along with you to Legion's chamber...

...or was it really Aria of Sorrow? Anyway, I knew this happened in a Castelvania game.
13thDragon's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/21/2008 12:18
13thDragon
One of the coolest bosses ever. Awesome pic.
Hamsizzla's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/21/2008 12:36
Hamsizzla
this guy aint nothing. The huge fucking golden dude is absolutely impossible. I had to use the shield rod exploit to beat him. To kill this guy i just kept dashing in bat form ;)
MechaMonkey's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/21/2008 12:50
MechaMonkey
Ball o' dead folks is scary stuff.
sbshootme's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/21/2008 12:54
sbshootme
I only fought this guy in Portrait of Ruin, and yes he was my favorite Boss there.
Im OK's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/21/2008 12:54
Im OK
Granfalcon? I thought it was called Granfaloon. Well, whatever it's called, it's a cool boss.
Im OK's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/21/2008 12:54
Im OK
Oh, cool, I wasn't the first to point it out.
STB's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/21/2008 12:58
STB
Yeah, this bossed grossed me out a lil bit when I first encountered it.... must be the reason why I like it so much.
Dexter345's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/21/2008 13:10
Dexter345
Granfaloon was the most badass boss when I first fought him/them/it in SotN, but now that he's (they've/it's) become a series staple, some of the "holy crap" factor has been lost.
Jordan Devore's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/21/2008 13:38
Jordan Devore
Such an amazing boss.
JynxShot's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/21/2008 13:38
JynxShot
My favorite appearance of Legion was in Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner, when they called him Zakat.

Yep. I said it.
timtheterrible's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/21/2008 13:39
timtheterrible
Granfaloon-a large yet meaningless association of human beings. Kurt Vonnegut invented the term for the book, "Cat's Cradle."
Mr Gilder's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/21/2008 14:57
Mr Gilder
Anyone try to fight this bugger in Curse of Darkness? He's an optional boss . . . and hard as hell.
JoshDunford's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/21/2008 15:05
JoshDunford
@Hamsizzla

Huge Fucking Gold Guy = Galamoth

Also, Beezelbub was much more disgusting/creepy than Legion.

Though Legion dropped the living dead...Beezelbub was a gian dead person hanging from hooks.

Greatest Game Ever Made.

-JD
Im OK's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/21/2008 15:14
Im OK
@JoshDunford

Yeah Beelzebub was much nastier than Granfaloon.
WiLLiSTER's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/21/2008 16:19
WiLLiSTER
They made him way too easy in portrait of ruin :[

I need to go back and play SotN
Necros's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/21/2008 17:54
Necros
Actually, I think the first time I fought him was in Harmony of Dissonance, since I played Symphony after I had played a few of the GBA games. He's pretty cool, and I always smile when they include him, but frankly, they've included him in pretty much every 2D version since Symphony except Circle of the Moon (made by KCET and removed from canon), so I think he's becoming expected, though not quite as awesome as Death's inevitable experience.
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