Simon Belmont

Conception and design

Simon Belmont was originally conceived under the name Peter Dante, a nod to actors Peter Cushing and director Joe Dante, and was planned as a vampire hunter and the grandson of Christopher Dante (a reference to Christopher Lee). His signature whip was chosen because developer Akamatsu appreciated how such a weapon could keep enemies at bay, and because he was a fan of Raiders of the Lost Ark. The character’s box art design was lifted directly from Frank Frazetta’s painting The Norseman.

Later, Simon received new looks in Castlevania Chronicles from Ayami Kojima and in Castlevania Judgment from Takeshi Obata, the Death Note artist. Series director Koji Igarashi noted these designs, especially Obata’s, were not what he had in mind, but acknowledged they reflected the artists’ visions, adding that Kojima’s version was also a radical departure. Obata’s design drew criticism for being too similar to his Death Note style. Simon was initially slated as the protagonist of the reboot Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, but the story was later reworked to focus on Gabriel Belmont instead.

Appearances

Simon Belmont is best known for slaying Count Dracula in 1691, a feat recounted across several games including Castlevania, Vampire Killer, Haunted Castle, Super Castlevania IV, and Castlevania Chronicles. In the events of Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, Dracula, though dead, curses Simon and all of Transylvania. To break the curse, Simon collects and burns Dracula's remains, though a hint suggests Dracula will return when his skinless hand rises from the grave.

Simon is one of only two Belmonts to fight Dracula twice in one lifetime, alongside his ancestor Christopher. In Haunted Castle, Simon appears with blue hair and a wife named Selena, who is kidnapped by Dracula right after their wedding. However, it is unclear if this is the same Simon; the game's guide calls him Simons, a descendant of the canonical Simon, while a Konami newsletter names him William. Though Simon is the first Belmont to appear in a Castlevania game, the Belmont bloodline begins with Leon Belmont, followed by Trevor, Christopher, Soleil, Simon, Juste, Richter, and Julius.

In Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance, Simon is a playable character in Boss Rush mode, using his original Castlevania design. In Castlevania: Harmony of Despair, Simon is downloadable content, with his sprite reused from the original game, and a special stage recreating that game's castle layout is also available for purchase. In the rebooted Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate, Simon is the son of Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades, and the grandson of Gabriel Belmont, who becomes Dracula.

He seeks revenge for his parents' murder, unaware that Dracula is his grandfather. Simon's design in Castlevania: Judgment was created by Death Note artist Takeshi Obata, featuring red-orange hair similar to Light Yagami, a jacket with many belts that exposes his muscular chest, and bandages on his forearms. According to the Bradygames Official Guide, Simon is 23 years old and about 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) tall.

Reception

Simon Belmont is widely recognized as the central figure of the Castlevania franchise, having served as the main character in the original game and several subsequent titles. He has appeared in more games than any other member of the Belmont clan, earning him the title of the family's most legendary vampire hunter. His character has undergone multiple design changes over the years, with one particularly notable look in Castlevania Judgment featuring an outfit heavy on belts and leather that exposed his torso—a design that some praised as attractive while others, like Game Informer, criticized.

Nintendo Power ranked Simon as its seventh favorite hero, acknowledging that while many vampire hunters exist in the series, he was the first. The magazine also cited its worst-ever cover as one showing Simon holding Dracula's severed head, a scene from Castlevania II. That cover sparked hundreds of complaints from parents, who reported that the graphic image gave their children nightmares.

The whip is a defining element of Simon's character, with critics noting that he simply isn't himself without it. This weapon is a key reason he remains a memorable hero. Several outlets have suggested he deserves his own movie, though Kotaku worried that such a film might arm him with a sword instead of his signature whip. Yardbarker listed him among the most memorable characters from old-school Nintendo games, and Complex Networks placed him in the top ten best vampire hunters in video games, as well as second among characters with the most drastic makeovers in gaming.