10 Best Castlevania Games Ranked

The Castlevania franchise has been a beloved series ever since the original release on NES. It helped inspire an entire genre of games, and has evolved a lot over the generations. Many of the changes the series went through were for the better, but not every game left the same impact as its predecessors.

This list will be ranking the ten best Castlevania games based on their gameplay mechanics, ability systems, their storylines, and how much they improved the series overall.

Castlevania 1

Ranking in at tenth place is the original NES game which deserves some respect for starting this beloved franchise. With the exception of some handheld titles, most sequels do pass it in terms of gameplay, but without this title those others wouldn’t exist. The original Castlevania introduced the world to the Belmont clan, iconic weapons, and iconic monsters.

Castlevania 1 box art.

Lament of Innocence

Castlevania is one of many series that had a rough transition into 3D, but eventually it did manage to have a noteworthy 3D installment. That game’s name is Lament of Innocence. It’s a PS2 era prequel game that tells the origin story of Castlevania’s overarching narrative. This makes it an interesting title for many who wish to unravel the secrets of how the legend of Dracula started.

Medusa in Lament of Innocence.

It’s not the most complex or well designed action combat game when compared to other games that were released in the PS2 era, but it was sufficient enough to be called the best 3D game in the Castlevania series.

Castlevania 3: Dracula’s Curse

The fan favorite game from the original trilogy follows Trevor Belmont and his three potential allies. Castlevania 3 features multiple branching paths to unlock these allies which gives it a lot more replay value than most other games in the franchise. One of those characters is the fan favorite son of Dracula, Alucard.

Castlevania 3 box art.

Dracula’s Curse also serves as the basis for the first season in Castlevania the animated series. There’s no doubt it has always been one of the most important games in the series, but having such a great modern anime adaption certainly helps it remain a beloved title.

Super Castlevania 4

The fourth mainline installment is actually a reimagining of the original game. Super Castlevania 4 is not only much more visually appealing than its predecessors, but it also adds new directional attack options. Simon Belmont can now angle his whip slightly when attacking which makes the game feel much more dynamic. Levels also feature some new mechanics that make the overall experience more memorable.

Castlevania 4 box art.

Rondo of Blood

Richter has been a fan favorite Belmont since his debut in this title which also features a second playable hero in the form of Maria. Fan favorite Alucard is also back and more relevant than he ever was before. The story, vibrant setting, and memorable dialogue helps this title stand out as one of the most interesting in the series.

Richter using Grand Cross.

This game does lose a few mechanics from previous games like diagonal whip attacks from Castlevania 4, but it makes up for this by introducing an ultimate attack mechanic. Item Crash is a mechanic in which Richter can enhance his sub-weapons. The most notable example of this is his iconic Grand Cross attack.

Dawn of Sorrow

Dawn of Sorrow is the final game in the Castlevania timeline. It’s a direct sequel to Aria of Sorrow, and thus borrows many ideas from it. It is a Metroidvania genre installment that follows Soma as he tries to stop a cult. He is a powerful character who’s mysteries are explained in the previous game. What makes him special is the fact that he can take abilities from monsters he defeats.

Dawn of Sorrow main cast.

Unlikely the previous game, however, is the fact that you have to use the touch screen to finish off bosses. This can be mildly annoying at times, but isn’t too problematic when compared to the many pros this game has. The fantastic ability system, replay value in the form of a more traditional Belmont style mode, and interesting protag help this title stand out as a hidden gem in the series.

Bloodlines

Bloodlines is one of the very few Castlevania games to not feature a Belmont or Dracula. Characters vaguely related to them in some way are relevant, but it’s a nice deviation from the formula. There are two protagonists in this entry. The one plays close to how you’d expect a traditional Castlevania whip user to play, while the other uses a spear and can launch themselves into the air.

Reflective water in Castlevania Bloodlines.

The setting this time around is across all of Europe rather than only being within Dracula’s castle, which is another nice formula breaking change. Every level feels extremely unique and beautifully designed.

Kid Dracula

This spin-off has a higher focus on platforming than most titles. Later levels are known for being hard, but the charming art style and abilities makes this entry stand out a lot. Players take control of Kid Dracula who has the ability to turn into a bat and use other magic abilities.

Kid Dracula on a throne.

There’s actually two different games that go by this title. One on the Super Famicom and one on the GameBoy. The GB version actually has a slightly different story than can be seen as a sequel and the levels are modified, but a lot of assets are reused and the story isn’t that different. Neither installment stands out enough from the other to deserve to be ranked differently on this list, so this spot belongs to both.

Symphony of the Night

SotN is the very first Metroidvania genre game in the Castlevania series. This means there’s now a greater emphasis on exploration and multiple paths. This title is very important in that regard since it helped inspire the Metroidvania genre. Many Castlevania games would be made in this style after SotN‘s released but none achieved the same level of popularity and praise.

Symphony of the Night box art.

SotN is a direct sequel to Rondo of Blood. Alucard takes up the role of protagonist this time around in a narrative that expands multiple character’s backstories. Alucard was already popular before this game, and Symphony of the Night only helped in accelerating him into becoming one of the most beloved characters in the series.

Aria of Sorrow

A Castlevania taking place long after the true death of Dracula is an interesting concept, especially when Dracula’s reincarnation is involved. This title follows Soma as he steals abilities from monsters he defeats while searching for the potential new Dracula. The plot has some nice twists, and the ability system is one of the best in the franchise.

Aria of Sorrow box art.

This ranks higher than its sequel, Dawn of Sorrow, due to it having a better narrative. Not requiring touch controls is also an additional factor in it placing higher.