If we took a vote on who everyone’s favorite Belmont from the Castlevania series is, it would most likely be Richter Belmont. I don’t think it’s simply because he starred in some of the most popular games in the series, but also because he has the best design. His blue tunic and white pants stand out among all the brown and orange leather that most Belmonts seem to favor.
Castlevania: Nocturne is Netflix’s follow-up to their wildly popular Castlevania TV series. It stars that blue-garbed hero teaming up with some familiar faces. But if you’re not a fan of the video games, you might wonder what the big deal is. Here’s the rundown on Richter Belmont.
What’s up with Richter Belmont?
As the Castlevania games tell, the Belmont family is a clan of vampire hunters who are entrusted with the duty of putting down Dracula when he gets rowdy every 100 years. They do so using the aptly named Vampire Killer whip. While they’ve been proven to not be the only ones who can put Dracula back to rest, the events of the Castlevania games usually involve them in some way.
Trevor Belmont, from the first Castlevania TV series, was an early ancestor to Richter. The events of that show took place around 1476AD. Assuming Castlevania: Nocturne is going to cover Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, that puts its events at around 1792AD.
If Castlevania: Nocturne follows the events of the game, Richter will not only be trying to stop Dracula, but will also be trying to save his girlfriend, Annette.
Where does Richter come from?
Richter Belmont first appeared in the 1993 PC Engine Super CD-ROM² game Akumajō Dracula X: Chi no Rondo, better known in the West as Castlevania: Rondo of Blood. While that game wouldn’t arrive in the West until a re-release years later, it was “remade” on the SNES as 1995’s Castlevania: Dracula X. While that game follows roughly the same storyline, it’s largely a different experience entirely.
Richter would later appear in 1997’s Castlevania: Symphony of the Night for PS1 and Sega Saturn, but not as the main protagonist. After a brief prologue starring him, he goes missing and Dracula’s son, Alucard, takes on the role of the playable character.
Since then, Richter Belmont hasn’t appeared in any other Castlevania games outside of some cameo appearances in titles like 2006’s Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin. Despite this, or perhaps because of this, he has retained his mystique as a favorite Belmont, having even appeared as a character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
