Julius Belmont – The One Who Finally Ended It
Julius Belmont is confirmed to be the last descendant of the legendary Belmont clan. On August 11, 1999, Julius defeated Count Dracula, sending his soul to be reincarnated and finally ending the Belmont family‘s thousand-year mission to vanquish their vampire nemesis.
Fulfilling the Belmont Legacy
Since the 11th century, generation after generation of Belmont warrior heroes dedicated their lives to fighting creatures of darkness and thwarting the notorious Count Dracula from decimating Transylvania. This duty was their purpose, irrespective of the great sacrifice and peril it entailed for them over the centuries.
Dracula would invariably resurrect himself through the spilling of human blood or cosmic events. And a member of the Belmont bloodline would inevitably appear from the shadows to confront him, wielding their heirloom combat cross Vampire Killer, empowered to destroy vampires and beings of evil.
For hundreds of years, the Belmont clan battled their family‘s sworn enemy across multiple lifetimes and iterations, winning victories but never able to finish him for good. Until 1999, when Julius emerged to fight Dracula at the zenith of his powers during a total solar eclipse.
Whereas previous Belmonts had beaten back Dracula after he had sustained losses and weakened states, Julius prevailed against the Count empowered by the eclipse, delivering an unequivocal end to Dracula and redeeming the efforts of all Belmont warriors of the past.
"The death of Count Dracula, the long-lasting vampire who had the Belmont Clan as his greatest nemesis, was finally realized in the year 1999." – Akumajō Dracula lore
The Most Powerful Vampire Hunter
A case can be argued for several legendary Belmonts wielding dominion over vampirekind, but Julius stands supreme as the most powerful. Let us examine the evidence:
Julius Belmont Combat Capabilities
- Masterful skill with Vampire Killer whip
- Decades of combat experience
- Arsenal of subweapons (axes, daggers, vials of holy water + others)
- Martial weapon prowess (spears, swords)
- Command of elemental magic (fire, ice, lightning)
- Light magic mastery (St. Abraxas Spell)
- Darkness magic capabilities via Glenn Graindeur‘s Spell Stone
- Mind controlling Golem Familiar powers
- Indomitable willpower and mental fortitude
In his fated 1999 battle with Dracula, Julius utilized his complete repertoire of fighting techniques, mystical skills, and magical items – plus strength conferred by his Belmont bloodline and sense of ultimate purpose – to defeat Count Dracula at the height of his resurrected powers.
Julius demonstrated superiority over Dracula physically, mentally, emotionally, and at long last – spiritually. In finally conquering mankind‘s most virulent vampire threat, Julius proved himself the supreme vampire hunter.
"Julius prevailed using his ancestral lineage, bravery against Chaos, and a belief in life thus he crushed Dracula completely and utterly." – Koji Igarashi, Castlevania producer
Timeline of the Belmont Legacy
The timeline below reflects some of the major known historical milestones in the Belmont family‘s campaign against Count Dracula spanning over 900 years.
1094 AD – Clan progenitor Leon Belmont renounces his title to stand as a symbol for defense of innocents after his betrothed Sara is executed on suspicion of witchcraft. Leon swears on behalf of his future lineage to "forever hunt the night."
1455 AD – Trevor Belmont, astride fellow warriors Grant DaNasty and Sypha Belnades, defeats Count Dracula after he brings war upon Transylvania. This victory revives the reputation of the Belmont family after a period of dormancy.
1476 AD – Son of Dracula "Alucard" Tepes allies with Trevor Belmont and becomes instrumental in destroying Dracula. The union of Belmont descendant and Dracula heir represents a symbolic reconciliation.
1591 AD – Christopher Belmont thwarts Dracula‘s invasion into Europe with his son Soleil Belmont. They are the first of the family to battle the Count outside of Romania.
1691 AD – Battling across seven provinces and gathering five mystical MacGuffins, Simon Belmont restores prosperity to ravaged Transylvania after defeating his nemesis.
1797 AD – Richter Belmont overcomes Dracula‘s curse controlling him and triumphs over Count Dracula aided by ally Maria Renard.
1798 AD – Son of Alucard "J.A. Oldrey" helps Richter Belmont reverse calamity upon Richter‘s disappearance with the aid of Maria Renard. Progeny of Belmont and Alucard work together again.
19?? AD – Undocumented exploits of various Belmont family heroes supporting vampire hunter partners in regional skirmishes occur during these years. The legacy continues through descendants.
1999 AD – Julius Belmont defeats Count Dracula at the height of the Count‘s powers when Dracula attempts to rule the world during a total solar eclipse in East Europe. Belmont legacy fulfilled(?)
Ranking of Belmont Warriors
The table below appraises and ranks Belmont warriors across key attributes as vampire hunters battling forces of evil.
While the criteria produces an overall scoring assessment, it represents merely one interpretation through the lens of an admiring loremaster. We invite respectful debate on the message boards!
Belmont Combat Capability Rankings
| Belmont | Physicality | Intellect | Mysticism | Resilience | Legacy | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julius | 10 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 48 |
| Simon | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 42 |
| Juste | 9 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 39 |
| Leon | 10 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 43 |
| Richter | 9 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 39 |
| Trevor | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 40 |
| Christopher | 7 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 31 |
| Sonia | 5 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 26 |
Dracula‘s Dark Genesis
Castlevania lore reveals that the franchises‘ quintessential villain – Count Dracula himself – was born from a corruption of the Belmont‘s noble legacy.
Gabriel Belmont was a Brotherhood of Light holy knight dispatched to dispense justice upon supernatural threats oppressing Eastern European villages in the 11th century. However, Gabriel returned home one day to find his wife Marie brutally slain by the werewolf Zobek.
Overcome by profound grief and rage, Gabriel ventured alone into the sinister Bernhard Castle to retrieve a means to bring Marie back to life. There he learned the necromantic mastery to resurrect the deceased from a medallion containing the soul of the enigmatic Grim Reaper, an emissary between realms of Reality and Chaos.
Gabriel took the name Dracul upon embracing chaos and attained the power to resurrect his wife Marie. But Marie realized Gabriel‘s kindness was replaced by cold ambition and refused his offer of vampire immortality. She returned to death by her own hand, leaving Dracul bereft and agonized.
Dracul enacted a vengeful genocide against the Brotherhood of Light, humanity, and the divine. He became the legendary vampire Count Dracula and waged evil from Bernhard Castle over centuries, necessitating the Belmont clan‘s crusade to repeatedly defeat him.
So while the Belmonts originated as heroic vampire hunters protecting people from darkness, that impetus fatefully produced Dracula himself – their greatest adversary. Talk about dramatic irony!
Son of Dracula, Ally of Belmont
emerged from Dracula‘s defeat in 1455 AD by Trevor Belmont and became instrumental in destroying his father during that era‘s resurrection cycle.
The bravery of Alucard choosing to oppose the father who gave him immortal life presents one of Castlevania‘s most compelling story arcs. It additionally forged a potent link between the two bloodlines.
1476 AD represents the first joining of forces between heroic lineages. Trevor Belmont, Alucard, and their sorceress companion Sypha Belnades combated and destroyed the malevolent power then ravaging Romania.
Alucard battling alongside his noble human companions, despite monstrous hostility from both vampire and human alike that his effort necessitated,, further cements Castlevania‘s thesis that righteousness lies between extremes.
Alucard‘s rebellious defiance of his father set a hopeful template for breaking cyclical chains of hatred through empathy and understanding – even in dire conflict. Later Belmont descendants like Richter maintained strong bonds with Alucard‘s kin like Maria Renard in their continued fight against evil.
What Lies Ahead for the Legacy?
With Count Dracula‘s demise in 1999 AD, the Belmont family‘s legendary legacy battling immortal evil allegedly concluded. But is this truly the end?
Given the mystical nature of Dracula‘s essence and his proclivity for resurrection via literary conceits like blood moons, eclipses, curses, and acolyte spells, only the bold would declare his menace banished forever.
Perhaps Julius‘ climactic victory merely closed this era‘s chapter of the eons long gothic chronicle. One envisions the Belmont whip eventually passing to another generation should vampire chaos surge anew.
For now, however, we may allow our noble clan relief from lunar alarms and feral night stalkings. The halls of Villa Belmont lay silent. Its lest chivalrous inhabitants rest through the quiet hours – their family duty upheld, at last granting them passage to peaceful dreams.
The End?
