List of Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow and Dawn of Sorrow characters

This is a list of characters of Konami's action-adventure games Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow and Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, part of Konami's Castlevania video game series. The games take place in 2035 and 2036 respectively, and each game deals with the effects that the death of Dracula, the primary antagonist of the Castlevania series, has had on the world. Aria of Sorrow features the coming of a prophecy that Dracula's reincarnation will inherit all of his powers, and the paths of the game's characters are led to Dracula's castle by this event. Dawn of Sorrow takes place one year later, with the antagonists seeking to revive the dark lord when he did not surface in Aria of Sorrow.

The primary playable character and protagonist of the two games is Soma Cruz, a reclusive transfer student who has a mysterious power connected with Dracula's death. The major supporting characters include Mina Hakuba, Soma's close childhood friend and the miko of the Hakuba shrine; Genya Arikado, a withdrawn and enigmatic government agent specializing in supernatural events; Julius Belmont, the latest member of the Belmont clan featured in the series; Yoko Belnades, an energetic and forward witch in the service of the Roman Catholic Church; and Hammer, a member of the United States Military with aspirations of becoming a vendor of military material. In Aria of Sorrow, the antagonist is Graham Jones, a deranged missionary who believes himself to be the reincarnation of Lord Dracula and seeks to inherit his powers. In Dawn of Sorrow, the antagonists are Celia Fortner, Dmitrii Blinov, and Dario Bossi, members of a cult who wish to create a new dark lord in Dracula's absence.

In Aria of Sorrow, the character designs were done by Ayami Kojima as part of producer Koji Igarashi's desire to take a "different route" with the series in Aria of Sorrow. In Dawn of Sorrow, however, Ayami Kojima was not part of the production team, and the characters were recast in an anime style, which was heavily criticized by several video game publications. Despite this, the characters were the subject of praise from many video game publications. Although many reviewers derided the stereotypical roles that the characters fell into, other reviewers noted that the new plot Aria of Sorrow and Dawn of Sorrow featured provided a better context for these characters. The storyline of the two games also received praise, and was compared to the plot of the widely acclaimed Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

Character conception
The characters of Aria of Sorrow were designed by Ayami Kojima, who had previously worked on the characters in Castlevania games such as Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance. Her dark, gothic drawings borrow heavily from bishōnen-style art. Producer Koji Igarashi decided to set the game in the future because he wished to explore a "different route" for the series. Keeping with Igarashi's "different route" motif, the characters' appearance was made more contemporary, sporting more modern clothing in comparison to the medieval attire of characters in previous Castlevania games.

In Dawn of Sorrow, Ayami Kojima was absent from the production. This was to allow her to concentrate on her character designs for Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, which was in production at the time. In place of her drawings, an anime style was used for the character designs. This was a deliberate decision by producer Koji Igarashi, who wanted to market the game to a younger audience. In an interview, Igarashi stated that he felt that the target demographic of the Nintendo DS was younger than those of other video game consoles that the Castlevania series has been featured on, and he intended to court them with a more simplistic anime design. The usage of the anime style was to be a litmus test for whether future Castlevania games would incorporate the style. In addition, Igarashi initially wanted to introduce a white collar Japanese worker as a character in the game. This character, which Igarashi referred to as a "general Japanese worker," would be a manager in a Japanese firm and have a family as well. Despite Igarashi's efforts, however, opposition from the game's design team forced Igarashi to abandon this prospect.

Soma Cruz
Soma Cruz, known in Japan as Sōma Kurusu (来須 蒼真), is the protagonist and primary playable character of both Aria of Sorrow and Dawn of Sorrow. His seiyū in both games is Hikaru Midorikawa, and he has no English voice actor. Soma's presence in two Castlevania games, unusual for most Castlevania characters, was made by producer Koji Igarashi, who noted that one of the reasons he made Dawn of Sorrow was to utilize Soma Cruz in another game.

In both games, he is depicted as a transfer student studying in Japan (or simply as a Japanese high school student, in the Japanese version ), living a peaceful life with his childhood friend Mina Hakuba. During the events of Aria of Sorrow, Soma awakens in Dracula's castle, where he learns of his "power of dominance," which enables him to absorb the souls of monsters and use their powers. He ventures through Dracula's castle, learning that Dracula had been destroyed years prior, and his reincarnation was coming to the castle that day. Defeating Graham Jones, who had harbored the notion that he was Dracula's reincarnation, causes Soma to realize that he is Dracula's reincarnation. With the aid of his friends, he is able to escape his fate by defeating the manifestation of the castle's chaos. In Dawn of Sorrow, Soma returns into battle to combat Celia Fortner's cult, which seeks to kill Soma and revive the dark lord. Soma manages to defeat them, and realizes at the end of the game that he is free to determine his own destiny rather than inevitably become another Dracula.

Mina Hakuba
Mina Hakuba (白馬 弥那) is the childhood friend of Soma Cruz and the only daughter of the priest of the Hakuba shrine. Her attire in Aria of Sorrow reflects this, as her attire is that of a traditional miko. She is transported into Dracula's castle alongside Soma at the start of Aria of Sorrow and remains outside the castle for the duration of the game, offering Soma advice that she acquires from Arikado. When Soma realizes that he is Dracula's reincarnation, Mina is able to accept him for who he is, and offers him moral support. After Soma escapes his fate, Mina returns to the Hakuba shrine with him. In Dawn of Sorrow, Mina is briefly present in the game, present solely in the opening and ending sequences. In the beginning of Dawn of Sorrow, she and Soma are nearly killed by Celia Fortner, who is repelled by Soma and Arikado. Mina spends the remainder protected by Arikado's subordinates, but sends a letter and talisman to Soma during the course of the game. A doppelganger of her also appears in a later stage in the game. When confronted by Soma, Celia fakes killing the doppelganger in front of him, prompting a furious Soma to begin to transform into the dark lord. The talisman she sends him however, delays the transformation enough for Genya to reveal the truth to Soma, halting his transformation. At the end of the game, she and Soma share a tender moment, to the amusement of their onlooking friends. Given the striking similarity, Mina's name seems to have been inspired by Mina Harker from the original Bram Stoker works.

Julius Belmont
Julius Belmont (ユリウス・ベルモンド) is the latest member of the Belmont clan featured in the Castlevania series. Members of the Belmont clan have been the protagonists of most Castlevania games, and Julius' role as a supporting character is unusual for the series. His seiyū in both games is Tetsu Inada, and just like Soma, He also has no English voice actor. In both Aria of Sorrow and Dawn of Sorrow, Julius is playable through "Julius Mode." While the "Julius Mode" in Aria of Sorrow solely features Julius, Yoko Belnades and Alucard can be unlocked as playable characters in the "Julius Mode" in Dawn of Sorrow.

Prior to the event taking place in Aria of Sorrow, Julius is the last and only Belmont to permanently defeat Dracula in 1999 thus ending his rebirth cycle by sealing his source of power (Dracula's Castle) inside a solar eclipse. However Julius somehow became amnesiac and wandered the land until he arrived at Dracula's castle as the amnesiac "J," having forgotten his identity after defeating Dracula prior to the start of the game. He encounters Soma Cruz, and Soma's dark power awakens Julius' memories. Julius later confronts Soma after realizing that Soma is Dracula's reincarnation, and battles him. Julius, unwilling to pit his full power against Soma, is defeated. After Soma escapes his fate of becoming another dark lord, Julius sends his thanks. After the events in Aria of Sorrow, Julius works for the Roman Catholic Church alongside Yoko Belnades. In Dawn of Sorrow, he travels to the base housing Celia Fortner's cult with Yoko. Julius later battles Dario Bossi, one of the "dark lord's candidates" and Celia's henchman, and is defeated. After Celia and Dmitrii Blinov, the last candidate, flee into the depths of the castle, Julius uses all his power to shatter the barrier guarding their flight. He is greatly weakened as a result, and does not participate in the final battle; although he appears during the final cutscene of the game.

Genya Arikado
Genya Arikado (有角 幻也) is a member of a Japanese government organization related to national security. In truth, he is Alucard, the son of Dracula, best known as the protagonist in Konami's highly acclaimed Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. During the events in Aria of Sorrow, he comes to Dracula's castle to ensure that a dark lord is not created. He instructs Soma Cruz to seek the throne room in Dracula's castle, hoping that Soma will absorb Dracula's powers. The gambit succeeds, and Soma nearly becomes the dark lord. However, Arikado reveals that if Soma destroys the flow of chaos into the castle, he will be able to escape his fate. After Soma succeeds, Arikado congratulates him.

In Dawn of Sorrow, Arikado battles Celia Fortner's cult, which wishes to revive the dark lord. Arikado saves Soma from certain death after Celia attempts to kill him personally, and instructs Soma not to pursue her. Soma ignores his directive, and travels to the cult's base. Arikado confronts him, and gives him a letter and talisman from Mina. Arikado later appears to stop Celia from using a doppelgänger to force Soma to become the dark lord, but is forced to let her leave after a revived Dmitrii Blinov threatens Soma's life. Arikado travels into the castle's basement, and attempts to stop Dmitrii. Dmitrii uses Celia as a sacrifice to seal Arikado's powers, leaving Soma to battle him. After Soma is victorious, Arikado reveals that he is not predestined to become the dark lord, and notes that one will emerge if necessary. Arikado becomes playable as Alucard if the player unlocks "Julius Mode".

Yoko Belnades
Yoko Belnades (ヨーコ・ヴェルナンデス) is a witch in the service of the Church. She is a member of the Belnades clan, whose members are adept at magic, a trait they inherited from the clan's progenitor, Sypha Belnades. In both games, Her seiyū is voiced by: Hiroko Takahashi, and just like the other characters, She has no English actor. Yoko comes to Dracula's castle during the events of Aria of Sorrow to stop Graham Jones, whom she believes will inherit Dracula's powers. She solicits the aid of Soma Cruz, but is stabbed by Graham when he confronts her. She is saved by Arikado, and later thanks Soma for saving her, expressing her shock that he was Dracula's reincarnation.

Yoko returns in Dawn of Sorrow as an associate of Julius Belmont. However, Julius quickly abandons her to search the castle. Yoko teaches Soma the use of a Magic Seal, and offers to increase the power of his weapons by binding the souls under his dominance to them. Although Hammer is infatuated with her, she appears to be either oblivious or uncaring of his affections. She appears during the final cutscene at the end of the game. Yoko is playable in the game's "Julius Mode."

Hammer
Hammer (ハマー) is a member of the United States military that comes to the Hakuba shrine on orders from his superiors. He quickly abandons his mission when he is teleported into Dracula's castle, and on meeting Soma Cruz, becomes his vendor, serving as the game's in-game shop. During this time, he falls in love with Yoko Belnades, who does not reciprocate his affection. After Soma defeats the manifestation of chaos in the castle, he expresses his thanks to Soma, and says that he will quit the military to pursue his ambition of becoming a salesman.

After leaving the military, Hammer starts his work as an independent merchant, and acts as an information broker through his "shady business contacts." It is through this information that Soma discovers the location of Celia Fortner's base in Dawn of Sorrow. Hammer arrives, and promises to be Soma's vendor again. He stations his shop directly opposite Yoko's, and constantly hounds Soma over his infatuation with Yoko over the course of the game. He appears with the other characters at the end of the game during the final cutscene.

Graham Jones
Graham Jones (グラハム・ジョーンズ) is the primary antagonist of Aria of Sorrow. He was born on the day of Dracula's death, giving him supernatural powers. He founded a religious sect preaching apocalyptic prophecies, and acted as its chief missionary. Graham arrives at Dracula's castle in Aria of Sorrow, believing that he will receive Dracula's powers due to being Dracula's reincarnation. He is forced to contend with Yoko Belnades and Julius Belmont, who have arrived at the castle to prevent Dracula's powers from falling into the wrong hands. Graham corners Yoko and stabs her, and begins to increase his powers by absorbing the castle's energy. He faces Soma in battle, transforming into a demonic creature. Soma manifests Dracula's powers, and is able to defeat Graham. His death forces Soma to absorb the energy Graham had been collecting, and realizes that he himself is Dracula's incarnation.

Celia Fortner
Celia Fortner (セリア・フォルトゥナ) is one of the antagonists of Dawn of Sorrow. She is the head of a cult seeking to revive the dark lord. Although she claims that she wishes to revive the dark lord to make God a completely good being, she desires a dark lord to prevent the loss of her magical powers. She recruits Dmitrii Blinov and Dario Bossi, the "dark lord's candidates," whom can become the new dark lord by destroying Dracula's soul. To do this, she attempts to kill Soma Cruz. Her initial attempts are foiled by Genya Arikado, and her candidates are defeated by Soma. In a final effort, she uses a dopplegänger posing as Mina Hakuba, Soma's childhood friend, and "kills" it to induce Soma to become the dark lord himself. Although this fails, Dmitrii, whose soul Soma had absorbed, escapes into the dopplegänger. She aids him in increasing his powers, but Dmitrii uses her as a sacrifice to seal Arikado's powers.

Dmitrii Blinov
Dmitrii Blinov (ドミトリー・ブリノフ) is one of the antagonists of Dawn of Sorrow. He is one of the "dark lord's candidates," or those born on the same day that Dracula died, giving him the ability to copy magical powers He joins Celia Fortner's cult, seeking to find the meaning behind his powers by becoming the new dark lord although he espouses no loyalty to Celia. He is defeated by Soma, who inadvertently absorbs Dmitrii's soul. Dmitrii uses this opportunity to copy Soma's "power of dominance," or his ability to use the abilities of the monsters he defeats. Dmitrii manages to escape Soma's body after Celia's attempt to turn Soma into the dark lord fails. He leaves with Celia, who summons monsters to increase his power. He then sacrifices Celia to remove the threat of Genya Arikado. Before he begins to battle Soma, Soma's power of dominance overwhelms his soul, and he dies when the monsters under his control escape his body.

Dario Bossi
Dario Bossi (ダリオ・ボッシ) is an antagonist in Dawn of Sorrow. Similar to Dmitrii Blinov, Dario is one of the "dark lord's candidates," born on the day of Dracula's demise. This affords him supernatural powers, specifically pyrokinesis. This correlates with his personality, as he is quick to anger, and acts on his instincts. He is a wanted criminal, responsible for countless incidents of "inexplicable" arson. He joins Celia Fortner's cult, seeking to become the new dark lord by killing Soma Cruz. Soma defeats him in combat, and he is saved by Celia's intervention. Celia then binds a powerful fire demon named Aguni to his soul, which increases his powers. Dario confronts Julius Belmont and defeats him, as Julius cannot prevent Dario from regenerating all damage. He fights Soma once more, but Soma strips him of his powers by defeating Aguni, breaking the demon's bond to his soul.

Reception
The characters of Aria of Sorrow have received acclaim and criticism from several video game publications. RPGamer welcomed the depth of the characters, and the emphasis placed into the personalities and development of supporting characters, as versus previous Castlevania games, whose character development and personality focus were primarily on the protagonist. IGN lauded this change from the conventional plot of a Castlevania game, in which a member of the Belmont clan defeats Dracula with the aid of a host of supporting characters. GameSpy cited the game's "intriguing" support characters as part of the Aria of Sorrow ' s "powerful and compelling scenario". They also complemented the graphics of the characters, citing "good animation on easily viewable sprites." However, GameSpy criticized the presence of a "weak female who needs protection" and an "effeminate-looking man who does all the slaying" as elements seen in previous Castlevania games, but noted that the "interesting nature" of the game's dialogue helped rectify this. In an interview, Koji Igarashi stated that one of the reasons he made Dawn of Sorrow was to continue the storyline with Soma Cruz found in Aria of Sorrow.

In Dawn of Sorrow, reviewers had mixed opinions regarding the characters. RPGamer stated the characters come across as "individual, interesting, and mostly compelling." RPGFan noted the "stereotypical" roles the characters fell into, but stated that Dawn of Sorrow showed more character development than the Castlevania series "has seen since Castlevania: Symphony of the Night". Several elements incorporated into Dawn of Sorrow, namely the use of a new anime style, as versus the dark, gothic presentation of Ayami Kojima, was criticized by reviewers. GameSpy deplored the "shallow, lifeless anime images" used for the characters, and Kojima's absence from the production. IGN claimed that the images were "down to the level of 'generic Saturday morning Anime' quality." RPGFan stated that the change in character designers lost "some of what made the characters really visually appealing." Despite this criticism, the anime style used in Dawn of Sorrow was later reused in Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin.