Greetings, children of the night. We bid you welcome to our lair of shadows as we take a look at one of gaming's greatest monster slayers: Simon Belmont, the most famous son of the Belmont clan, and absolute bane to all creatures of the night. Armed with whips, maces, knives, axes, and buckets of holy water, Simon has been laying siege to Dracula's castle since the days of the NES. Not quite as elegant and refined as Doctor Van Helsing -- certainly a more heroic figure -- Simon's escapades through the gothic world of Castlevania have enthralled players for years.

But is a man truly just a miserable little pile of secrets? Or is there more behind those leather-bound muscles? Who really is Simon Belmont, what sort of secrets does he carry in his inventory, and what sort of character comes from a line of whip-wielding vampire hunters? With Dracula's castle rising from the depths of the underworld every century, it seems Simon and his clan have been busy for some time. But what makes him so special? Behind the armor, the weapons, and the rugged exterior, what separates him from the likes of Gabriel, Trevor, and Richter? Is he truly worthy of his notoriety, or is he just another monster hunter with an ax to grind? Well, that's what we're hoping to uncover today as we peel back the legends and lore of Simon Belmont. So crack your whips, sharpen your daggers, and bless your crosses, we're taking a trip through Castlevania.

20 MANE OF MANY COLORS

In the realm of fashion, Simon is notable for two main features: his gorgeous locks, and his leather armor. Not exactly the common vestments of a vampire hunter, perhaps, but Simon rocks it every time. That being said, while his gear might be standard, his design hasn't been that consistent. Simon has gone from a He-Man-esque blonde, a Conan colored brunette, and in later designs, going full anime with a scarlet mane and leather trenchcoat.

This final design by Castlevania character artist, Ayami Kojima, is considered the fanbase's favorite interpretation. Though it is considered a more modern and anime-esque design, Kojima's vision supposedly harkens back to the character's original leather-wearing design from the NES title. Wherever you find Simon slaying the hordes of Dracula, you can bet he'll look good doing it.

19 SIMPLY SMASHING

Speaking of his original design, it has recently been revealed that Simon, along with Richter, will appear in the latest Super Smash Bros. installment as a playable character. In his reveal trailer, we see Luigi with his ghost-hunting gear having quite the bad night in Dracula's castle. He's on the run from mummies, snakes, and even gets his soul sliced by Death himself. The reaper soon gets his comeuppance when a certain monster slayer steps into the ring.

Just from watching the video we can see the call back to the classic NES box art for Simon's design. The blonde hair, the fur boots, the leather chest guard, it's all there, and he's ready to rumble. Though the aesthetic is clearly inspired by the first game, the morning star chain is a reference to Simon's Quest, at least to those players deep enough in the series. It's nice to see Nintendo throwing back to the classics and giving us this blast from the past. We certainly look forward to seeing Simon slash it out with the rest of Nintendo's character roster.

18 A HERO BY ANOTHER NAME

Like many gaming protagonists before him, Simon comes from humble beginnings. Armed with a whip and his wits, he storms into Dracula's castle ready to hack and slash his way to glory. At the time of release, everyone knew of the infamous Dracula and the rest of his gang, but who was the armored champion? Certainly not Van Helsing.

Simply known as "The Hero," Simon set forth on his quest to stop Dracula's reign of terror in 1986. With a simple design, a straightforward premise, and a clear end goal, not much extra is needed in regards to our protagonist. That being said, if a player waits till the end of the game and watches the end credits, a proper name for "The Hero" will be revealed.

17 TERRIBLE TYPO

The name Simon Belmont does have a sort of supernatural ring to it. But despite what many believe, this was technically not his original name. After defeating Dracula's final form at the end of the original NES classic, a set of credits will roll, as if the game has been an 8-bit horror flick. Among the other names of monster cast members, the name of the hero is finally revealed as Simon... not Belmont... but Belmondo.

Whether this is a typo, a translation error, or something else altogether, it's stuck in the Castlevania fanbase ever since. Having been fixed to Belmont in Simon's Quest, Belmondo has since been reduced to a tidbit in the history of the character. Still, we find it pretty hilarious that his original name sounds an Italian B-movie star.

16 LEAPS AND BOUNDS

Simon Belmont is responsible for innovating many things. Castlevania opened the doors for horror-based action games and became one of the foundations for all action-platformers. Its gameplay and mechanics can be found in not only future titles but in other games outside of the series. That being said, there is one problem with the original three titles that seems to be tied to Simon.

Anyone with experience with the earlier games will tell you that the jumping feature is particularly flawed. It seems with every jump, the player has to be committed, this means no midair direction change. Enemies also pose a particular problem with the jumping mechanic. If Simon is even grazed by a bat or projectile, he will be knocked back, most often in a pit. Though this has been remedied from Castlevania IV onward, it is still remembered as a familiar mechanic to some and an agonizing glitch to others.

15 SMOOTH MOVES

Our favorite vampire hunter is capable of many things. Simon can swing from ledges, slash away zombies, skeletons, and snakes; and slay the world's most famous vampire. With his feats of phenomenal strength and agility, Simon is no doubt light on his feet. This factor could also account for his impressive dance moves.

You read that right, thanks to a slight glitch in Castlevania IV, Simon is able to literally Moonwalk up and down the staircases, if the player presses the correct arrow combination on the D-pad. Though this is unintentional and clearly a goof up in the programming, it has become a favored humorous remark in the gaming community. Who knew Simon was such a smooth criminal?

14 SIMON THE BARBARIAN

We've recently mentioned how Simon's design has had some barbarian influences. With his long, shaggy mane, rippling muscles, and tight leather armor, one can easily see dashes of Conan sprinkled in his appearance. This design choice was expanded upon in Konami's Lords of Shadow universe. In the more recent additions to the franchise, the Lords of Shadow have been plaguing the Belmont line with Gabriel, Trevor, and Simon ready to fight back.

In the lore, Simon's parents are torn to pieces by Lycans and he is raised by the people of the forest, a barbarian tribe. Similar to Conan and many other fantasy heroes, he is taken in by a strange people and takes vengeance on those who murdered his family. This version of Simon prefers fur to leather and certainly has a more rugged-adventurer air than our normal leather-bound slayer. The Lords of Shadow series takes a more dark-fantasy approach to the familiar characters, and fans certainly agree that it's a welcome addition to the lore.

13 NOT A SEQUEL BUT AN EQUAL

In the Castlevania series, two titles are considered the cream of the crop, Castlevania IV and Symphony of the Night. The former title is considered by the fans and community a remake of the original Castlevania on the NES. Both titles share the same layout, similar bosses (with a few fresh spins), similar locales and enemies, and even an updated soundtrack with some of the same tunes. That being said, there are a few notable differences between the Simon in the first game and the Simon in the fourth.

There are, of course, the obvious aesthetic changes to the character. Simon's traded in his blonde locks for brown, his leather armor is replaced by steel, and his mace tip has been replaced by a spearhead. Control-wise, it's almost a completely different game. The infamous jumping mechanic is now smoother and on-point, Simon can crouch-crawl into tight spots, and the chain-whip is twice as accurate and twice as deadly. But don't think smoother controls make for an easier game. This Castlevania is just as challenging as its predecessors. The players still must use their brains to help Simon reach Dracula's tower and save the world.

12 A LINK BETWEEN GAMES

This is one of those tidbits that even the most practiced Nintendo scholars might not know. Simon Belmont shares some similarities with another Nintendo giant who came out a year prior, and supposedly influenced one of his games. Next to Super Mario, Link from The Legend of Zelda was Nintendo's other 8-bit champion, selling over a hundred million units worldwide. Looking at them now, the vampire hunter shares quite a bit in common with the hero of Hyrule.

Both characters share a similar color palette for their original sprites, both wield bladed weapons and both need to fight certain bosses to reach new areas of their respected quests. To say Simon pulled some inspiration from Link is somewhat debatable, but it could also be said Link took some tricks from Simon. In Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, the game changed from a top-down dungeon crawler into a side-scrolling action game. If one observes the way Link walks, lunges his sword, and interacts with the NPCs, elements from Simon's adventures are definitely noticeable.

11 STOP, HAMMER TIME

The Castlevania series was heavily influenced by the horror genre. With its skeletons, bats, mummies, and of course vampires, the series took notes from many horror movies and classic stories. Simon Belmont himself even takes away from characters like Quincy Morris and Van Helsing from the story of Dracula and various vampiric plots. One could always point out how the bosses and creatures could have been influenced by Universals Monsters, with the appearance of the Frankenstein monster and Igor, but we have reason to believe another series held a heavier sway.

The Hammer Horror films were a series of over-the-top monster movies released from the U.K. in the 60's. The films featured many classic actors such as Christopher Lee, Bela Lugosi, and Peter Cushing, and was famous for their gothic atmosphere, and use of blood and monsters. There is an easter egg at the end of the original Castlevania that resembles the end credits to one of these famous flicks. The creators even went as far as to put altered versions of the actor's names under various monster bosses; i.e., Christopher Bee (Christopher Lee) as Dracula, Boris Karloffice (Boris Karloff) as Frankenstein, and Love Chaney Jr. (Lon Chaney Jr.) as the werewolf. Of course, Simon pays tribute to actors like Peter Cushing as the adventurous monster hunter set out to rid the world of evil. It would appear the game is not only a pioneer for the horror genre but an apt tribute as well.

10 OVERSUNG HERO

Since his debut on the NES, Simon has been the face of the Castlevania series. He must have a truckload of titles under his studded belt, right? Much to our surprise, his outings against the king of vampires are surprisingly limited. For being such a heavy hitter in the franchise, Simon only has three titles in the main series where he has a starring role.

That's right, not counting the spinoff games and other titles, Simon only appears in the original Castlevania, Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, and Super Castlevania IV. In these games, he sticks to his classic routine. Dracula's castle rises from the earth, Simon defeats his monsters and minions, puts Dracula back in his box, and the day is saved once more; rinse and repeat. Simon has been to Transylvania and back, slain the monster, burned his bones, and is quite content letting the rest of the family fight the next generation of undead legions. He's a bit busy smashing with Mario and his crew.

9 THE ORIGINAL BUT NOT THE FIRST

This is one of those things fans of the series just tend to forget. Though Simon Belmont is the original protagonist of the Castlevania games, he is not the first in the timeline to face Count Dracula. Not including the Lords of Shadow lore, the battle against the vampire began with Trevor, Simon's father, and his party in Castlevania III, followed by Simon in Castlevania, Simon's Quest, and Castlevania IV. Then the torch is passed to Richter in the following games in the original Nintendo line. So in a sense, Trevor is the first Belmont to take on Dracula, not Simon.

The original series played on Nintendo consoles contains an original title, a prequel, a sequel, and a remake. Each game is presented as a new chapter in the Belmont history. Though Simon might not technically be the first, he will always be the most memorable.

8 ARCADE ADVENTURE

Like so many other games in Nintendo's enormous library, Castlevania received an arcade port in the late '80s. The port was renamed Haunted Castle, but in terms of gameplay, combat, and goal, it was still essentially Castlevania. The game even went as far as pulling the NES box art into the 16-bit title screen. Simon takes new territory in this version of the game but brings all of his amazing tricks. With no shame in hiding it was just a glorified port, the game still was a moderately good transition into the arcade cabinet.

The game itself is a more beat-em-up style of the original title. This time, however, Simon is depicted as a Fabio type hero with black hair and muscles and must save his new bride from the clutches of Count Dracula. Simon still has to whip and platform his way through all of the classic monsters, but it's presented in a way to make the game just unfamiliar enough to pass for a semi-original port. It might live in a new body, but the heart beats out Castlevania.

7 HE WORE A YOUNGER MAN'S CLOTHES

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is the series' venture into the hack-and-slash genre. Choosing to focus more on combat, design, and storytelling than the standard platforming, the game is quite popular among the PlayStation community. The game stars Gabriel Belmont, first of the famous clan, and centers around his quest to rid the land of evil creatures and rescue the soul of his beloved. Slightly deeper than normal Castlevania fare, it's just as action-packed.

Gabriel's design perfectly meshes with the dark, Guillermo Del Toro-inspired fantasy world Lords of Shadow provides, but there's something curious about his scarlet attire. The shoulders and gold trim are directly influenced by the artwork of Simon's Quest. Curious how Gabriel would acquire this familiar feature unless he passed it down to the younger Belmont. Tribute to the classics or hint at a future family member? Regardless of the answer, this is a must-play for fans of the series.

6 AN 8-BIT WORK OF ART

Before the days of trailers and online ads for games, the way game companies sold games was through the cover art. Games like Double Dragon, Contra, and Dragon Warrior are all known for having amazingly epic cover art, and Castlevania is no exception.

The original NES cover art was inspired by "The Norseman," a painting by fantasy artist, Frank Frazetta. The artwork for the game mirrors the pose and scale of the Viking warrior, giving the cover a high/dark fantasy vibe. Frazetta is best known for illustrating pieces for Heavy Metal and Conan the Barbarian, once again tying the famous character to our favorite vampire hunter. This piece of artwork obviously influenced Simon's original design, and in turn, inspired one of the most famous pieces of cover art in the realm of gaming. It's always an interesting phenomenon to see art inspire art.

5 A LORD OF SHADOW (ALMOST)

The Lords of Shadow portion of the franchise is certainly a popular interpretation of the Castlevania plot. With its beautiful settings, fun hack-and-slash combat, and magnificent monsters, it's no wonder players keep coming back to slip into the role of Gabriel Belmont to take on the dark forces that plague the land. But before Gabriel's adventures were being narrated by the melodious tones of Sir Patrick Stewart, it was Simon who was originally supposed to star in the successful PlayStation title.

The original concept for the game would have been a full, darker, grittier remake of the original Castlevania. Simon was to have been somewhat Ezio-like and use magic as well as wielding Gabriel's combat cross to hack away at the hellish horrors that await inside the castle. Before Mercury Steam was given free reign of the storyline, Simon would have gotten his own imaginative remake and gamers would have tasted new blood on a classic title. For those wanting to see what this game might have been, there is a full trailer of the original concept on YouTube for their viewing pleasure. We can all certainly agree that Simon would have done well in a more horror-based title.

4 WHIP IT GOOD

When one thinks of weapons in Castlevania, what comes to mind? Simon, always armed to the teeth, has an arsenal truly worthy of a vampire hunter. His weapon roster consists of proper monster slaying tools like holy water, daggers, and crosses, but he's not Simon Belmont unless he cracks out his classic whip.

Simon's whip is, to him, as Master Sword is to Link. It's his iconic weapon of choice and he'd never dream of storming Dracula's castle without it. Though some fans refer to it as a whip, a chain whip, or morning star, this piece of wicked weaponry does have a name. Simon wields the "Vampire Killer," which is perhaps not the most imaginative title, but certainly one that fits the description. The name of the weapon could very well come from the original MSX2 port of the game, known to Japan as Vampire Killer and not Castlevania. Blunt, but effective, a weapon by any other name would slice just as sweet.

3 SO NICE, IT PREMIERED TWICE

To say Simon Belmont first appeared on the NES title Castlevania would only be half true. Like several other games, Castlevania premiered on a computer program as well as a home console. This other version, known as the previously mentioned Vampire Killer, was first played on the MSX2 home computer one month after the game premiered on the Famicom and NES.

Though the MSX2 version was slightly different than the version on the home console, the gameplay, characters, and plot were still the same. Simon still used his iconic whip, wiped out monsters, and, naturally, defeated Dracula. Of course, the home console port is still the more popular title, but it's always important to remember the roots of a classic title and character to see how far they have both evolved.

2 GRANDFATHER'S GRIM DEMISE

For those unfamiliar with the Lords of Shadow Storyline, a SPOILER ALERT is hereby in effect. After the events of the first game in the saga, Gabriel Belmont forsakes his humanity and gives in to the powers of darkness, becoming the vampire Dracula. This, in turn, acts as the catalyst for the events in Mirror of Fate, which tries to combine the first and third games of the original series.

After the saga of Gabriel and Trevor occurs in the early portions of the game, Simon and Alucard go toe-to-toe with Dracula himself, as is the Castlevania formula. After a battle, Simon pierces the heart of his now-vampire grandfather with Trevor's holy cross. Dracula disintegrates and the castle falls in perfect grandiose fashion, but not without vaguely hinting that the vampire is not truly down for the count. This is a tidbit that tends to go overlooked, but the fact that Simon defeats a member of his own clan is certainly a fact that even the most seasoned of fans forget. Though the lore of Lords of Shadow is completely separate from the classic games, it's still the most epic chapter in the realm of Simon Belmont.

1 WANT TO FORGET: THE CRISIS OF CAPTAIN N

In 1989, Nintendo branched out into the realm of Saturday morning cartoons with a show called Captain N: The Game Master. The show featured exaggerated cartoon versions of classic game characters such as Mega-Man and Pit from Kid Icarus going up against the forces of Mother Brain to protect the realm of Videoland. This also featured a version of Simon Belmont and let's just say the creators didn't really do their homework.

When one normally thinks of Simon Belmont, they see an adventurous hero in medieval attire, armed to the teeth and ready to fight off enemies. This is by no means the case in Captain N. In the show, Simon is depicted as what we can only describe as Gaston with a spray-tan. It's absolutely insulting how brash and cowardly the vampire hunter is depicted. This interpretation bears absolutely no resemblance to the source material whatsoever. Simply put, it's one of those things most fans thankfully forget about, and some just try not to remember.