#albus castlevania

[beevean]

I'm now a bespectacled Albus truther. He will always wear glasses in my heart. It makes sense for his job, it's a neat detail in his design, and he looks handsome. 10/10 no notes

[wygolvillage]

RESEARCH FRAGMENTS

a comic exploring the more villainous side of albus for C3- the castlevania comic challenge!

you can also read it on my website with some more in depth notes on it (LINK)

@castlevaniafanficbingo2022

[ignix191]

Color Wheel Challenge (Yellow)

We got our Yellow character, so I give you the Gunslinger Big Brother of Shanoa from Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia - Albus! 💛

Thank you soo much for participating in this Color Wheel Challenge!

Don't forget to give me characters for Green for the next piece! 💚

Here's the Solo piece!

Don't forget to gimme characters for Green! 😉💚

[onestepbackwards]

HOLY FUCK??

VAMPIRES SURVIVORS CASTLEVANIA DLC REAL!????

oh my god they are adding every character in the series as playable aren't they what the fuck

EVEN LEON'S FIANCEE SARA IS PLAYABLE???

oh my god x

[sepyana]

[grim-has-issues]

If you ever want more of Albus York after his 6+ hour run time, just know there is 4 seasons of Castlevania.

[zeteng]

Grimoire of Souls chat stamps. Wish I could use them for text messaging :'(

[land-of-appletun-and-anime]

Order of Ecclesia was my first Castlevania and still my favorite. I'm so happy new audiences get to experience it. I was scared it wouldn't ever see the light of day again and not only is it back but it's the flagship game of the collection 😭

[prying-pandora666]

Shanoa’s Real Identity and Richter’s Fate

Could Each Lingering Mystery Answer The Other?

Okay this is completely crazy but the more I stare at it, the more sense it makes, and as much as this is highly unlikely, I just have to share it with other fans!

Please bear with my Pepe Silvia-esque ramblings.

Can we talk about Order of Ecclesia, Mac? I’ve been dying to talk about Ecclesia.

So there’s two burning questions that have been bothering me for a long time.

What happened to Richter Belmont?

Who is Shanoa, really?

And the other day I had a revelation that might be able to answer both. However, it’s completely crazy and I was scared to share it in case people hated it. But I just have to talk about it with someone, so here goes, I guess.

Let’s start with question 1.

What happened to Richter?

Missing: Have you seen this man? Responds to “miserable little pile of secrets”.

According to canon, Richter disappeared shortly after SOTN, taking the Belmont bloodline with him. Vampire Killer was instead passed on to the Morris family and another Belmont would not be seen again until Julius Belmont in the 1990s.

Fans have long speculated the reasons why Richter and the Belmont line would simply disappear. There are two prominent fan explanations:

A. He was too ashamed after being possessed and gave up on vampire hunting as penance.

B. He was too afraid for his loved ones after being possessed and nearly losing Annette and decided to retire his family from the job.

He already told her twice! You turn into a vampire, you get the pyre. Turn into a succubus, you get thrown under the bus.

Trouble is, neither is particularly convincing, is it? Belmonts have been dealing with this sort of thing for generations and it hasn’t slowed them down before. Richter is one of the most powerful of all the Belmonts, as well as one of the most confident. It seems unlikely he would be discouraged by standard occupational hazards in the family business.

But what if there was a far more concrete explanation? One that Iga simply never got to elaborate on because his last game was Order of Ecclesia.

Which brings us to…

Who is Shanoa?

Shanoa has amnesia. It’s a significant plot point that she doesn’t know who she really is or where she came from. The true ending implies she gets her memories back, but it’s never revealed to the audience.

She looks awfully happy to have her memories back! Surely Konami will show the audience after we worked so hard to get them for her. Right? Riiiiight? Not like they have something to hide for a sequel they’ll never make!

So what can we determine? Let’s look at what we know.

Shanoa was created to fight Dracula and vampires because the Belmonts disappeared (allegedly. In reality she was being used to revive Dracula).

Shanoa has an adoptive brother named Albus who was supposedly experimenting with Belmont blood taken from distant descendants in Wygol village.

Shanoa works for an older man named Barlowe (who is later revealed to actually be trying to revive Dracula and was planning to sacrifice Shanoa).

Her game takes place sometime in the early 1800s.

Her English voice is Michelle Ruff.

So what can we glean from all this?

Here is my insane crack theory.

Shanoa is Maria Renard

I know, I know, it’s crazy. Hear me out!

How it All Connects

Oh sure. Alucard becomes “Genya Arikado” and no one bats an eye. Maria becomes Shanoa and everyone loses their minds!

It first started with the simple curiosity that Michelle Ruff voiced both Maria and Shanoa in English. Now this isn’t evidence of anything because voice actors play multiple roles all the time. But it did get me thinking.

The Order of Ecclesia was only created because Richter Belmont disappeared. So where did he go? And where did Barlowe come from?

Here’s my speculation: Barlowe either is a successor to, or actually is a new identity for, Shaft himself! I’m going with “successor” since Shaft had all those creepy cultist priests that served him.

“Always two, there are; A master and an apprentice!”

Look at the similarities:

—Wants to revive Dracula through a dark ritual. —Plans to sacrifice a girl to do it by unlocking her magical potential. —Has the exact same attacks as Shaft: Fire orbs, ricochet orbs, lightning orbs, that bouncy ball attack, etc.

And who did Shaft want to sacrifice this way last time he got up to these shenanigans? Maria Renard.

Last time this unlocked her magical potential. It’s no surprise that Shanoa is similarly enhanced. What’s interesting though is that Shanoa is a uniquely qualified candidate, as Barlowe believes that Albus isn’t as suited for the role as Shanoa despite Albus volunteering to take her place. What’s so special about Shanoa anyway?

Could it be because she’s already had part of the ritual performed on her before?

Her name is also interesting. Shanoa is a corruption of the French “Chat Noire” meaning “black cat”. Maria is associated with animals already and her last name is French for “Fox”. Maria is also canonically considered a witch. What do some witches turn into in SOTN when they’re low on health? Black cats.

The Salome Witch’s sprites in SOTN. They turn into cute black kitties when you fight back. Dastardly!

Could it be that Barlowe kidnapped Maria Renard with the intent to finish the job Shaft started? Is this the real purpose behind wiping her memories, and the stated cause of her amnesia merely an excuse?

But let’s put a pin in Shanoa for a moment and look at another suspicious character: Albus.

Albus is the Key

Shanoa about to steal Albus’ sweet vest because that open back dress looks COLD to be standing on misty magical castle steps in the middle of the night.

Maria about to put flowers on Richter’s grave if he keeps flexing on Dracula.

Albus is Shanoa’s adoptive brother.

Not her biological brother.

Not her best friend.

He is specifically her adoptive brother. Why? There’s no mention of either of their families. Why this specific categorization?

Albus cares very deeply for Shanoa. Despite being wrongfully demonized and having Shanoa sent after him, Albus to the end self sacrifices in an attempt to save her. Why does he care about her so much?

Unless of course, we have it backwards. He doesn’t call her his adoptive sister because he wants to save her. He wants to save her because she’s his adoptive sister.

Who has an adoptive brother (or brother-in-law in one weird translation) relationship with Maria?

Richter Belmont.

What is it with you people thinking hair dye makes you unrecognizable?

How does Albus so easily find descendants with Belmont blood when no one can even find Richter?

It’s easy if you are a Belmont and know your family history. (Simon probably left a lot of bastards in Wygol. Gigachad that he was.)

Closer inspection reveals Albus has those Richter Belmont stunning-blue eyes!

Why does having all the villagers saved allow Albus to sacrifice himself to save Shanoa? It’s as if the Belmont blood of the villagers resonated with him at the end. But why would it? Unless he is a Belmont himself.

Could Albus be Richter going undercover to find out what happened to Maria? Only to discover the situation was too dire to easily leave until he stopped Barlowe’s plans? Is this why Albus offers to take Shanoa’s place in the ritual? Was it planned sabotage? And did Barlowe send Albus on a wild goose chase because he was catching on?

Seriously, even their “evil” looks share a resemblance. Too much smudgy eye-liner, for one.

So why did Richter Belmont disappear?

Because Albus died to save Shanoa.

Presumably, he left Annette behind with child and this is the line Julius is descended from. Annette simply went into hiding after Richter didn’t return.

Order of Ecclesia takes place in the early 1800s so it’s well within their lifespans.

If true, I wonder if Maria/Shanoa returned to Alucard after. Perhaps her altered hair inspired Alucard to change his own color to black as well for his Genya alias.

It’s not just a phase, and no you can’t sit with us!

Thank you for reading!

[thecodeveronica]

Uh oh, I'm at the "thinking about scenarios with this character while listening to music" stage

I've reached a terminal level too quickly, this wasn't supposed to happen

[renegade-red]

Commission for my bestfriend 💛

17 hours of work into this, godamn 💀 i seriously love how this came out

Other versions are on my kofi and insta!

Alt version + closup below

[beevean]

Translating Order of Ecclesia's bios

Shanoa

20 years old

Ecclesia's female warrior.

A female warrior who belongs to the anti-Dracula organization Ecclesia. She has a special ability: she can absorb Glyphs in her body and activate their power. For this reason, she has undergone rigorous training since she was a child, as a candidate to become the bearer of the technique "Dominus," allegedly capable of defeating Dracula. However, during the "Dominus" adaptation ritual to become the bearer, she loses her memories and emotions.

Barlowe

72 years old

The founder of Ecclesia. After studying Glyphs for many years, he came up with the theory of "Dominus", a technique designed to destroy Dracula. In order to take back the "Dominus" stolen by his disciple Albus, he entrusts the task to Shanoa.

Albus

24 years old

Ecclesia's chief researcher, raised as a potential fit for "Dominus". He was working as Barlowe's assistant, but when he learned that Shanoa was chosen to bear "Dominus", he stole it and disappeared.

Dracula

Age unknown

The Dark Lord, who reigns over many demons. He is currently resting, but it is said that once he resurrects, he will spread terror among people. Castlevania is said to be the embodiment of Dracula's immense magical power.

[wygolvillage]

making me go crazy btw

[a-wild-things-rambles]

Albus and Shanoa | brother and lamb

a gift for the lovely @wygolvillage ! She was one of the reasons i dived headfirst into the castlevania games, helped me out when i was playing sotn in the wrong mode, and is the creator of an amazing new castlevania forum!

[turn up brightness to better see Shanoas outfit]

progress and rambles under the readmore

so! this is based on a statue of the pieta, Mary cradling Jesus post crucifixion. shanoa is drowning in sacrificial lamb symbolism.

in this Albus takes the place of mary. i havent played order of ecclesia yet. but from what ive read/watched/heard i translated into symblisum

so mary, jesus and god. mary is the mother, she raised and cared for jesus, the lamb, she did not know as entirely as god did about what would happen to jesus.

so in ooe, mary is Albus, the elder brother, trying to protect Shanoa, the lamb, so god is [analogues in this reading to] barlow, the one who knows the lamb will be sacrificed and causes the sacrifice. [not saying barlow is god or right but its symbolism and allegory]

im not sure if this would take place in the game, but maybe in an au where shanoa sacrifices herself for albus, or where barlow sacrificing her goes ahead as planned.

[mimeparadox]

Spoilers for Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia below.

I could never perceive Albus from Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, as a good guy. He’s not actively seeking harm, but his toxic view of Shanoa as someone who needs to be kept in a bubble lest her innocence be sullied is just as harmful as Barlowe’s machinations, just as responsible for the events of the game, and is one of the most bothersome cases of holding the idiot ball that I’ve seen in a work I otherwise really love. 

I mean, just imagine how the story would have gone if Albus, after learning that using Dominus would kill Shanoa and that everything they’d been taught was probably wrong, had actually, you know, talked to her. Allowed Shanoa some knowledge and the agency to decide what to do with her life. There’s a chance that she would have decided not to believe him and chosen to go on to die, but there’s also every chance that she would have believed him, in which case they could have both worked to discover the truth. Much easier than what actually happened, and much safer.  And the thing is, there’s every chance she would have believed him, or at least begun to doubt Barlowe! Why wouldn’t she, if his and her relationship is as close as he believed  it to be, and the evidence underpinning his beliefs is sound?  And if she didn’t, well, then he could have still gone on to do what he did in canon. He loses nothing by telling her what he suspects.  

Actually, that’s not quite true. He would lose something, in that a Shanoa with complicated knowledge and the suspicion that she’s been lied to by an authority figure can be considered to be less innocent, and there’s evidence that Shanoa’s perceived innocence is deeply important to Albus, given his big brother complex. One could even argue that Shanoa’s perceived innocence is actually more important to Albus than Shanoa’s actual wellbeing, given all that she was subjected to because of what he did. And that’s not actual love: it’s patriarchal nonsense, which the game halfheartedly acknowledges by having everything Albus tries go wrong, and having Shanoa only survive because of a fluke--he had no way of knowing he’d be able to restore Shanoa’s memories, or keep her alive by sacrificing himself. However, the game also positions him as ultimately heroic, which is also the consensus that emerged regarding his narrative. Boo. Hiss. 

[kachimera]

4, 10, 11!

4. Do you have a NoTP in your fandom? Are they a popular OTP?

I don't really have any big "i wanna tear my eyes out" notps ? Maybe netflixvania lenector but my s3-4 celibate has spared me. I'd include Soma n Arikado too, i can read stuff with this ship but Soma being Drac reincarnated and the whole emotional clusterfuck poor Arikado would have to endure just makes it uncomfy for me.

10. Most disliked arc? Why?

Im thinking but i can't remember one i dislike in particular rn, I guess I'm easy to please lol

11. Is there an unpopular character you like that the fandom doesn't? Why?

That place goes to Cornell, our local angsty furry monk. His backstory of him training to control his werewolf form out of guilt and regret is pretty cool, and the care he shows for his sister Ada is cute :>

In general i think both cv64 and legacy of darkness, while flawed and sometimes wonky, are underrated and got pretty cool elements too (plus damm, the soundtrack 👌). Honorable mentions from these include Carrie (absolutely Z E R O chill nor common sense this little girl just fucking walks in to beat the fuck out of an evil and extremely dangerous vampire, Leon n Maria would be proud), Malus (literally Soma if the castle hadn't been sealed and hadn't gotten help, F), Reinhardt (absolute sweetie himbo) and Ortega (angsty furry ft jealousy) and-

I'd also like to add Sara Trantoul (aka whip girl :D). I feel she's underrated and usually tossed aside when she's pretty much Drac's nemesis throughout the entire franchise, and the idea of this super sweet and generous girl suddenly losing everything, having to be killed by her own fianceé so she can be bonded to a weapon used by her lover n his children, destined to become an spirit of vengeance and wrath against the one who betrayed them both has lots of potential (let my girl go deranged)