According to Gizmodo, Netflix has just commissioned a spinoff series of "Castlevania" starring Trevor Belmont's descendent Richter. Richter is arguably one of the most prolific members of the Belmont clan, appearing in three major titles, in Super Smash Bros Ultimate and now this upcoming Netflix series. The spinoff is currently in the works and will be set during the French Revolution. Samuel Deats, director of the series, made the following tweet.
*great great great (however many greats) grandson 😉
— Samuel Deats (@SamuelDeats) June 11, 2021
Rondo of Blood
Richter Belmont made his debut in the 1994 PC Engine sidescroller, "Castlevania Rondo of Blood." He was tasked with saving his betrothed Annette and the other captured maidens from the recently resurrected Count Dracula.
Along the way, he comes across Annette's little sister Maria, who harnesses the power of the beasts. Together, they team up to vanquish the count and his cult of followers.
Players started the adventure as Richter, but if they played their cards right, they could rescue Maria and even control her if so inclined. Richter played similarly to his forefathers but with the added ability to backflip- a move most useful when dodging enemy projectiles. On the other hand, Maria could double jump and used doves as projectile attacks. Basically, she was the game's easy mode. "Rondo of Blood" was met with rave reviews, but the title didn't find its way to the states until it was rereleased in the PSP remake "Castlevania Dracula X Chronicles."
In its stead, American gamers got a reimagining of sorts called "Castlevania Dracula X" for the Super Nintendo in the following year.
The game followed the same basic plot of "Rondo," but players no longer could control Maria. Additionally, since the Super Nintendo was cartridge-based, the CD Redbook audio was converted into chiptunes. However, the Super Nintendo boasted a higher color palette than the PC Engine.
Symphony of the Night
Richter would wield the whip again years later, but not as the main character.
In 1997, Toru Hagihara and Koji Igarashi released the PlayStation follow-up, "Castlevania Symphony of the Night." Four years after Dracula's defeat, Richter Belmont mysteriously disappears, prompting Maria to search for him. In a strange coincidence, Dracula's castle emerges once again. With no Belmont to stop the count, Dracula's son Alucard takes it upon himself to venture forth from his father's castle and uncover the mystery of Richter's disappearance.
The game completely reworked the tried and true "Castlevania" formula by taking a more non-linear approach, allowing players to explore Dracula's castle and get new abilities that will enable them to reach previously inaccessible areas. The game boasted multiple endings and a secret inverted castle that could only be unlocked if players found the secrets needed to break an illusion. Lauded by critics for its gameplay, visuals, and music, "Symphony of the Night" managed to overcome its limited marketing campaign. Word of mouth pushed it to become one of Sony's greatest hits titles. To this day, "Symphony" is regarded by many as the best entry in the series. And also one of the greatest games of all time.
That the spinoff series would revolve around Richter and Maria might come as a surprise to some fans, as Netflix series executive producer Kevin Kolde previously stated that an adaption of "Symphony" would prove to be difficult. He reasoned that Season 2 of the series pretty much covered the same ground as "Symphony," stating, "in Symphony of the Night, Alucard has to fight his dad. Right? We did that in Season 2. So I'm not sure how you do that again from a storytelling standpoint and make it meaningful." However, he did add that there "are other elements to [Symphony] that are interesting."