@@goldengoldy0197 It deals emotional damage to the monsters that they've been hit with such a pitiful weapon. Truly Soma is using psychological warfare to it's fullest effect here.
In that's case it would be Julius, through the bad ending and dialogues it is implied that he can defeat some even after he absorbed all the castle's power
@@MrKynzer yeah but in DoS Julius Mode it took Alucard, Julius and Yoko to defeat Soma. 3 powerful badasses IT TOOK 3 ULTIMATE Badass just to take Soma down.
@@ojsojs6004 Even then, it took entire army, Belnades Clan and maybe Alucard to help prime Julius to reach full-powered Dracula, and on top of that Shinto priest(s) in order to separate Dracula from the Castle Not to belittle Julius, but it is known that Dracula and Belmonts (and maybe Alucard) just get stronger and stronger with time
Belmonts: Divine wip passed down for generations Belnadez: Ancient alchemy / elemental Magic Alucard: Variety of swords,daggers and shields Soma: *G U N*
I feel like Castlevania is getting more attention in general. Back then I would mention castlevania and little to no people would know of it. Now with the Netflix adaptation, castlevania rep in smash, and the release of the castlevania anniversary collection. Glad to see one of my favorite series is getting the recognition it deserves. :’)
@@shishmerf Lmao I was in your shoes too. Im glad Castlevania is getting the attention it deserves. Who knows, maybe we will finally get The Battle of 1999 as a game.
Soma is BAE for how much of an outside-context character he is. You spend the whole franchise kicking Dracula's ass only to find out you're literally playing as his soul, and this kid actually manages to stay good in spite of that. It also helps that he's paired up with the coolest Belmont of them all (Julius) and Soma's power of Domination is brilliant from a gameplay aspect
I saw a very promising fanmade-teasers covering that historical moment, but the development looks a little swamped judging by the last entries in the main developer's blog. It's called Castlevania: Umbra of Sorrow if you are interested :)
@@ruyman90 it would be nice to see that the Belmont clan once again wield the legendary whip, The Vampire Hunter. but i still wonder if Alucard is still present during Julius' timeline during the 1999 Demon War incident.
@Hector_Velez It is implied that everyone in the world was against Dracula at that battle and seeing that Alucard was later employed in a shadow organization to oversee paranormal cases is a good guess that he was there. Also is implied that some of the characters from "portrait of ruin" might have been there because is the duty of the Morris clan, in this case Jonathan Morris, to return the vampire killer whip to the Belmonts when the time is right and he would be in his later 70's
I love how Soma gets to use legendary and mythical weapons like it was nothing, including Thor's Hammer, Balmung, Claim Solais, the freaking Excalibur WITH THE DAMN STONE as a mace, Falchion, Longinus, Masamune, and of course GUNS.
I love the Excalibur cause it's so hilarious. Soma isn't worthy of pulling the sword out of the stone, (probably because of the dark power within him) but does that stop him? NOPE, he just swings the sword WITH the stone still attached to it
@@mbrillon765 it'd be awesome if there was an unlockable form with him breaking the block off on a boss and getting the full version. It's like Excalibur saying "Dude! Fine! Your worthy now! Whatever!"
You know, now I just want a fanmade AU where after the events of Dawn of Sorrow, instead of refusing to serve under Soma and no longer sees him as his master. Instead, Death still thinks of Soma as his master and just wants to serve him, but Soma just wants to live a normal life with Mina. So Death just follows Soma around and exists. So basically it's kinda like Billy and Mandy but Death wants to serve Soma (and possibly Mina if he sees her as the reincarnation of Elizabeth/Lisa).
My personal favorite is Leon Belmont, and so I was kinda hoping he'd get mentioned, at least in-passing. Leon lost everything and, at his lowest point, the man who was his best friend for his entire adult life became the ultimate evil, but Leon pulled himself up anyway. He was the righteous man who would not be corrupted, even when driven into absolute despair, as opposed his Mathias who embraced evil the second something bad happened to him, knowing the consequences full well.
The Netflix version probably will not do that, but the castlevania anime could very well be a Jojo-type of anime where there would be time skips and each “ part” would have a new protagonist
@@bappojujubes981 Just reminding you Soma does have a stand(Multiple actually),ORAs and guns(pistols that he shoots in very stylish manner,a RPG and a Laser cannon).I betcha he also got Hamon and something that spins.
I find it pretty interesting that the preservation of his love interest Mina is what determines Soma's ability to control his dark powers seeing as the original reason Dracula took the dark turns he did was because he lost the women he loved. It's also pretty noteworthy that during the bad endings/Julius mode playthroughs, Soma's personality seems to be fully overridden by Dracula's as he regains all of his old manurisms and the hatred he built up over the years. Suffering a loss the way he did before was enough to reawaken the count to his centuries of malice.
@@Ronnie_aus_Schnaxlreuth Debatably, we don't actually know. Dracula's Vampirism comes from this red stone he obtained in lament if Innocence so it's hard to say if Soma would become a vampire when fill with Dracula's darkness.
@@marche800 Yes, I thought so too. In the case of Mathias he gained vampirism by absorbing Walters soul/dark powers, that's why i am thinking that Soma would actually become a vampire. On the top you can see him as Dracula with a glass filled with a red liquid.
I imagined a Soma-like character becoming a anti-hero master of a estate with "roguelike" Chaos Architecture similar to Castlevania . The twist is that he's NOT AN EVIL OVERLORD. He's the master to keep the "dark ecology " of the place in check, the Apex Alpha. IF he wanted he could have expanded his domain. Of course, some PEOPLE just want to get that kind of power... PRESS START
I know it has been a year since you wrote this comment but I too would like to play this game. Might I suggest downloading Unity and learning a bit about how to realize your vision?
This could be the next game for Castlevania, just replace the Soma-like character with Soma’s grandson/descendant and have the source of the dark ecology be Soma’s corpse
Soma after becoming the dark lord while having his handgun equipped: Damn it feels good to be a dark lord. A real gangsta-ass dark lord plays his cards right.
As someone who's struggled with BPD soma's story really resonated with me since I know what it feels like having a monster inside you and being afraid it could break free and hurt the people you care about.
Dawn of Sorrow was my first Castlevania game, and since then I'm in love with the serie. Soma was indeed an amazing protagonist. Well written, beautiful as fuck (I am straight but really the artworks for the castlevania characters are out of this world. Look at those eyes!!) and also he was, with Shanoa, probably the most powerful of all protagonists. To be honest though, I liked the ending where he thought Celia really killed Mina and became Dracula because I was tired of "all things end in a good way" trope... that being said, I didn't know Mina was the reincarnation of Lisa, so today I changed my mind. Seeing it as a way for Drac to finally be with the person he loved and be together in a normal life almost brings a tear to my eyes. I miss Castlevania man. The story, the atmosphere, THE 2D (I know that besides God of Wa... I mean Lords of Shadow there are other 3D games in the original story line but I never played those), the music, the characters, the art... It's so hard to swallow the fact that it's something I won't experience anymore. Don't get me wrong, I know about Bloodstained (and I'll buy it for sure) but the name "Castlevania" on the box and the game intro brings a feeling nothing could ever replace.
I guess that's also the thing. Both endings are enjoyable; but I actually like the good ending more personally because it's him finally coming to peace with himself, especially in context to its massive history of self-sacrifice and eternal evil.
smol correction, alucard's given name is adrian, he later took on alucard (dracula backwards as everyone knows) to show his opposition to his father's ideals.
I really hope that they explore the 99' wars, when Julius Belmont finally fulfilled his duty as a Belmont, and defeated Dracula "once and for all" Nah, Konami would never do that
the power of dominance comes from the pact he made with "the false god" before the events of cv3 ,as stated in the japanese manual of castlevania 3, with it he became the dark lord
@@marrvynswillames4975 nope, the only thing retconed in the japanese manual was alucard origins, now he is a damphir, the pact with the false god is also mentioned in the japanese credits of lament of innocence and in the manga that came with curse of darkness
I loved the deep dive analysis of soma, I liked how soma was twist in comparison to both alucard and Belmont that instead of being equipped with an arsenal and magic, he takes the unique characteristics of his would be henchman. Near the end of your video you spoke quite passionately of how soma is, on the whole, a conclusion to the saga of count dracula within the Castlevania franchise. I'd like to add some of my thoughts. My favorite character in Castlevania being alucard, I really enjoyed watching alucard spur soma down the right path of redeeming his humanity, and in extension, the souls of his parents. It really adds depth to the final scene of alucard and dracula in SOTN, Alucard has the two lines "trouble the soul of my mother no more." Then after dracula asks how could he be defeated, alucard tells him "you were doomed the moment you lost the ability to love". It really feels like my favorite character's effort to hide from the earth til he was needed again truly paid off in the end. But anyways,I really enjoyed the video.
Would've kind of liked to see Shanoa get a whip glyph, especially considering how *spoiler alert* all the villagers are descendants of the Belmonts. It would probably be called something like Melio Flagellum.
The only problem with the Soma games is the cocktease that is the battle of the millennium not being a real game. It's like "Oh yeah, the most important battle against Dracula? The one for all the marbles that changed the fate of the world? You don't get to see it. But I assure you, it was AMAZING!"
To this day i still don't get why they didn't release the game about that. That and also give Alucard DLC about 2012 era where the Mayan calendar ends.
@@zapperil I like to pretend that Lords of Shadow 2 was the Battle of the Millenium and Drac dies at the end fighting Lucifer. It almost fits and allows me to integrate LoS into the main timeline.
To be honest, I've never seen an "Heir" character as good as Soma. I found some people assuming automatically that his story is shit because it's so Anime. But, my guy, the dark lord candidate is the one that defeated Chaos, the source of what a dark lord should be. That sentence alone teems with good story.
You're crazy. To assume a reincarnated person having a family results in the new family related to the progenitor's former life family, that would go as far as saying everyone should be related to everyone.
Years ago, i played Aria and Dawn of Sorrow here on my phone through a GBA and a DS emulator. I got multiple attempts on getting the right endings and now after watching this video and knowing all the references and more details, it really enlightens me... There was an ending at Dawn of Sorrow where Soma gets consumed by the dark power and you'll be using Arikado aka Alucard and company to defeat him in his dark lord state. Ahh i miss playing it! 😄
*Fun Fact... from 12 years ago* During my youthful teenage years while I was 12 years old I think; I was making my Top 10 Castlevania OSTs and take note during that time, *Lament of Innocence* was already released along with the "Sorrow Series", Aria of Sorrow and *Dawn of Sorrow*. It was during that video creation time where "Lament of Innocence's" *Cross of Fate* and "Aria of Sorrow's" *The Castle Corridor* melodically sound the same. The very first time I heard it my jaw dropped as I theorized there must be some resemblance on the two stories. And here I am, someone confirmed it that both Soma Cruz and Mathia Cronqvist which both are different people but technically are the same soul.
It’s interesting how much of your character analysis is actually just a plot summary. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining per se. It is just that this was honestly more focused on overall plot, and even Dracula’s character, than it was Soma’s character.
The thing with the game though was that the game's plot "is" all about his character journey, so it's pretty much impossible to discuss one without the other given that all the situations are constantly testing him.
Soma vs Richter is gonna be the highlight of the game , also have him travel with the DS Squad ( Jonathan , Charlotte, Shanoa ) , i can see him goofing around with Jonathan tbh
@@zapperil I agree and I would love a sequel to judgement with way better designs as well as watching the characters interact with each other. I would also love to see more of Aeon he is my favorite.
@@MotherNature101 My iteration would ne taken in Mid-Aria though , with him and Shanoa being partners in the start of the game. That until Soma defeated Dracula and gets his soul , finally realized that he is Dracula reincarnated. Now the problem is , Soma had to fight other heroes to convince that he had no intention of becoming Dracula . Since him and Shanoa in the game are pretty close , he tried to convince her first. You would've guessed , they fought. The battle mirrors Julius' fight for Soma , and Albus' fight for Shanoa.
Hard to say who's my fav Castlevania playable character, Julius, Richter, Charlotte or Shanoa. My fav character is Death though. Man I never noticed that touch with pre and post Draculas that is a real nice touch there.
Fun fact : Soma means Moon (Chandra) in sanskrit language. Kuru was one of the greatest warrior and ruler of the great Chandra/ lunar dynasty describe in holy indian epic Mahabharata, that's why it also called Kuru dynasty. In sanskrit 'Kurusu Soma' means 'the great moon of Kuru/lunar dynasty'😇
I'm glad you made a video on Soma. Hell even another Castlevania video. Kinda coincidental seeing as the Anniversary collection comes out tomorrow. Hmmmm
1:30 in this.... sigh Man I loved the Soma Cruz arc! Bloodstaind Ritual of the Night coming out next month PC Mirriam is supposed to play like Soma using enemies essence as weapons/abilities/skills/pets/stat augments
Thanks for the video! Soma has always been my favourite character but your video brought new depth to him and I was happy for a refresher on why he's such a badass!
After watching this video... yeah, I agree that Soma is a great character (and with Richter Belmont my favorite) and also the Sorrow duology games are really great due to the depth of it's message with the good endings, while the bad ones you could kinda say is more like fan service than anything else (kinda), but yeah, with those things about Dracula himself and Lisa (and the fact that Mina could also be considered a reincarnation of Dracula's wife (something that NEVER came to my mind) AND taking a look to Lament of Inocence Dracula and that key scene in Dawn of Sorrow), makes prefect sense why Konami tried to reboot the series, as there is little room to make a sequel or even prequels.
I love your out look on one of my favorite Castlevania characters and the way your as passionate as I am when speaking about him.I first feel in love with Soma because as a female I was like he is hot looking and then the more I learned about him the deeper I feel.He's very sweet to just he hides it when caught with a smart remark or a shut up to whomever sees it and says something of it.I think he's a shy guy to.lol
Actually he's a double reincarnation because in the events of Castlevania 64 and it's prequel, Legacy of Darkness, Dracula used Cornell's beast power to get reincarnated as Malus.
All these comments are focused on Soma's gun but let me remind you all that soma legit thought he could square up against zombie soldiers and all of dracula's castle with a pocket knife... Like straight up this man could care less
I think one of Soma's trait is how scarily calm he is when the situation is dire , like he just seen a guy who transformed into an abomination of corpses and his reaction is just like "this thing is dangerous if it escapes , might as well just slay it here"
I've been in love with the series for years and only now did I make the comparison between Soma and Mathias, along with everything else you said, thanks to you. It really IS the best ending we could have ever gotten. Two souls in love refusing to stay apart for 1000 years, only to find happiness.
I did see a lot of people who said that Soma was their most disliked character due to his personality. While I understand where they were coming from, storywise and thematically, I also thought that Soma's story was probably the most meaningfully powerful. For he was the story of conclusion to the overall Castlevania timeline in a very meaningful way; he, the next Dracula, simply up and saying "no" to fate itself to become the next bringer of evil to the world, and using his dark powers for good. Its why he's my favorite Castlevania protagonist.
Its a great conclusion considering how he can finally live peacefully with his love. Also, i find it fascinating since the time gap is so long and to see modern take of Dracula still keeping that love towards Lisa and all the reincarnations. Soma is Soma in the end.
It be cool to have Soma Cruz as a DLC character for Smash Ultimate, It could be fun to use his unique moves even in classic mode where he face his past self, As all say that... I am you and you are me.
I like the subtle connection between Elisabetha, Lisa, and Mina. Elisabetha died of illness. Lisa who succeeded Elisabetha was a doctor. Lisa was accused of witchcraft and executed, which can be tied to religion. Mina who succeeded Lisa grew up in a Shinto shrine, and thus is tied to religion.
@@zapperil Are you referring to Christianity and Shintoism as cults? That’s not very respectful to people who hold these beliefs. My point was that Lisa was executed for witchcraft. Even though Dracula’s minions facilitated mankind turning on Lisa, witchcraft executions in general had religious links (not just Christianity). Mina grew up in a religious household and is a Shinto shrine maiden.
@@Mia-dt3gl No , i mean in Sorrow series, there are cults who often targets Soma to either for him to become Dracula , or bring their own candidate as the new dark lord. From what i get on that post , Elizabetha died and yet always reincarnated as the one what killed them in the first place. Elizabetha died because of illness > Lisa was a doctor > Lisa died by persecution of witchery , which related to religion in that era > Mina is a shrine maiden which ties into religion. So , in case Mina died by one of the cult who targets Soma then...
Glad to see another Castlevania video. Also it’s kinda funny that the games that are considered the best metroidvania’s in the series both involve relatives of Dracula
It's a shame that Soma Cruz has become a reincarnation of Dracula Vlad Tepes even though he was an exchange student and a good hero in the Castlevania franchise. Ever since Soma Cruz gained the dark power of Dracula he ended up becoming the next new Dracula and the he had a hard time fighting the dark power over himself and the Belmont family couldn't even do anything to help Soma Cruz and turn back to his old self and be the hero that he use to be and get his old life back but he can is be a rival and an anti-hero to the Belmonts and the rest of the characters in the series. For starters Soma Cruz is handsome.
As much as i want bloodstained to be great, i feel that the lore of castlevania was a big part of why this series was so good, and it's going to be something that i'll miss.
Hell yeah, he's my favorit video game character ever! I instantly fall in love with Castlevania games because of Aria of Sorrow when I was 11 year old boy. Thanks for making this video 👍
This is what Castlevania really is about. A story of a man who lost his love over and over again, to the point his love turned into infinite hatred. A tragic story indeed
The best part is Death coming to him after trying to kill him twice and just "yo ain't ya Dark Lord anymore boss?" Then leaving. Death is such an amazing character too.
@@aznereth3767 Death has always had a very interesting loyalty. Time and time again helping or ignoring the heroes for the sake of Dracula. If Jonathan and Charlotte weren't such brats they could've tagged with Death during Portrait. Of course they would still fight in the end, but they had the opportunity.
fucked up how soma is alucard's dad technically
Chambers He's sexy as fuck too
By soul but not genetically... can souls have a form of DNA?
i said technically for a reason
Let's tolerate DSP
By Soma Juilius Cruz
No I'm not ._.
Remember kids: Soma can canonically tell dad jokes to Alucard
Daily reminder: Soma has a gun. It's all fun and games until Drac pulls out the gat.
He does have a gun, which deals pitiful damage.
@@goldengoldy0197 It deals emotional damage to the monsters that they've been hit with such a pitiful weapon. Truly Soma is using psychological warfare to it's fullest effect here.
BREAK YO SELF FOOL!
@@Lieguy7 It does feels like something the Lord of shadows would use.
For his neutral B, he wields a gun.
Soma Cruz is arguably, the most powerful character in Castlevania.
He literally took Dracula's powers and multiplied them by 10.
In that's case it would be Julius, through the bad ending and dialogues it is implied that he can defeat some even after he absorbed all the castle's power
@@MrKynzer yeah but in DoS Julius Mode
it took Alucard, Julius and Yoko to defeat Soma. 3 powerful badasses
IT TOOK 3 ULTIMATE Badass just to take Soma down.
@@ryanharper2174 But Julius is already over 50 years old and past his prime. Arguably prime Julius is the strongest character at castlevania.
@@ojsojs6004 Even then, it took entire army, Belnades Clan and maybe Alucard to help prime Julius to reach full-powered Dracula, and on top of that Shinto priest(s) in order to separate Dracula from the Castle
Not to belittle Julius, but it is known that Dracula and Belmonts (and maybe Alucard) just get stronger and stronger with time
@@ryanharper2174 Just like Dracula. In the world of Castlevania, you don't fuck with the Belmonts
Belmonts: Divine wip passed down for generations
Belnadez: Ancient alchemy / elemental Magic
Alucard: Variety of swords,daggers and shields
Soma: *G U N*
*H I S N E U T R A L B I S **_G U N_*
Don't forget single-handled positron cannon casually found in a little shrine after kicking bosses ass on a sunday morning
@@Zacapisco3 i mean it is the future. Combine magic and technology and youre a badass
Everybody gangsta until Dracula gets his Glock
Alucard uses vampiric abilities as well, and his enchanted sword and shield.
Roses are red,
Soma's kinda cute,
He's also the first known Castlevania protag
Who uses grenades and guns that shoot.
Well,Nathan could shoot in CotM(sorry if I'm being THAT guy)
@@krumlordgaming *laughs in redacted timeline*
)':
@@ledah1363 it's cannon if we think it's cannon!
I keep forgetting that there’s a soul that lets you throw grenades. lol
Soma is Alucard from Hellsing confirmed
The Aria of Sorrow storyline games are getting a lot of attention recently and I love it.
I feel like Castlevania is getting more attention in general. Back then I would mention castlevania and little to no people would know of it. Now with the Netflix adaptation, castlevania rep in smash, and the release of the castlevania anniversary collection. Glad to see one of my favorite series is getting the recognition it deserves. :’)
You know the two sorrow games sudden popularity can be put on one man pikasprey maybe some more
heck I just completed aria of sorrow again completing the enemy book 100%
now for dos
Honestly they're so underrated, yet they're my favourite games of the series alongside portrait of ruin
@@shishmerf Lmao I was in your shoes too. Im glad Castlevania is getting the attention it deserves. Who knows, maybe we will finally get The Battle of 1999 as a game.
Such irony, we’ve been fighting Dracula this whole time and then we became Dracula
then lords of shadow happen to make things weird and now we will never have a good castlevania game again because Konami. hope blood staines good.
Stare i to the void long enough and the void stares back
Now i become dracula
Destroyer of little piles of secrets
@@fictionarch amen to that
That's the mark of the end of an era
Imagine wearing Soma Cruz's fluffy coat.
I want his coat
I made it for a cosplay and am happy to report that the collar is quite fluffy ^.^
Soma dresses like a rich milf
I’m betting he is rich.
Imagine hugging him whilst hes wearing that coat, aka how to become a polar bear
Soma is BAE for how much of an outside-context character he is. You spend the whole franchise kicking Dracula's ass only to find out you're literally playing as his soul, and this kid actually manages to stay good in spite of that. It also helps that he's paired up with the coolest Belmont of them all (Julius) and Soma's power of Domination is brilliant from a gameplay aspect
@hankstockman It literally doesn't
Soma has a stand and he can stop time, no doubt he is the best castlevania mc
and he's technically a vampire since he's Dracula so Dio confirmed
Not to mention he's a Dracula expy.
he also has a guardian in aria of sorrow that goes ora ora ora
In dawn of sorrow there's a boss that's actually just Dio, you even fight him on top of a clocktower.
No soma isn't that
He is something that well....
*You'll never see it coming*
I am still salty we don't have a game about the 1999 demon castle wars
I saw a very promising fanmade-teasers covering that historical moment, but the development looks a little swamped judging by the last entries in the main developer's blog. It's called Castlevania: Umbra of Sorrow if you are interested :)
@@Zacapisco3 i wonder what Julius would look like?
sorta like Chuck Norris i suppose.
Julius would have been a teen or a very young adult, maybe around 18 years old.
@@ruyman90 it would be nice to see that the Belmont clan once again wield the legendary whip, The Vampire Hunter. but i still wonder if Alucard is still present during Julius' timeline during the 1999 Demon War incident.
@Hector_Velez It is implied that everyone in the world was against Dracula at that battle and seeing that Alucard was later employed in a shadow organization to oversee paranormal cases is a good guess that he was there. Also is implied that some of the characters from "portrait of ruin" might have been there because is the duty of the Morris clan, in this case Jonathan Morris, to return the vampire killer whip to the Belmonts when the time is right and he would be in his later 70's
I love how Soma gets to use legendary and mythical weapons like it was nothing, including Thor's Hammer, Balmung, Claim Solais, the freaking Excalibur WITH THE DAMN STONE as a mace, Falchion, Longinus, Masamune, and of course GUNS.
And cestus as well
I love the Excalibur cause it's so hilarious. Soma isn't worthy of pulling the sword out of the stone, (probably because of the dark power within him) but does that stop him? NOPE, he just swings the sword WITH the stone still attached to it
@@mbrillon765 it'd be awesome if there was an unlockable form with him breaking the block off on a boss and getting the full version.
It's like Excalibur saying "Dude! Fine! Your worthy now! Whatever!"
Falchion isn’t a holy/legendary weapon, it’s just a type of sword. Don’t let Fire Emblem confuse you
@@jacobtietjen2099 lol i was gonna say
You know, now I just want a fanmade AU where after the events of Dawn of Sorrow, instead of refusing to serve under Soma and no longer sees him as his master. Instead, Death still thinks of Soma as his master and just wants to serve him, but Soma just wants to live a normal life with Mina. So Death just follows Soma around and exists. So basically it's kinda like Billy and Mandy but Death wants to serve Soma (and possibly Mina if he sees her as the reincarnation of Elizabeth/Lisa).
Death as babysitters of a potential child between Soma and Mina is something I didn't know I wanted
"Death insist on being my servant even when I refused to become the Dark Lord" what kind kind of light novel title is that?
@@proxy90909 Honestly, that's pretty standard as far as light novels go. Just slap some tiddies on Death and you've got a best-seller!
Death sees Soma not wanting to be the dark lord as Dracula going through a phase
@@tommynson440 so like a parent seeing their son becoming goth, but in reverse?
My personal favorite is Leon Belmont, and so I was kinda hoping he'd get mentioned, at least in-passing. Leon lost everything and, at his lowest point, the man who was his best friend for his entire adult life became the ultimate evil, but Leon pulled himself up anyway. He was the righteous man who would not be corrupted, even when driven into absolute despair, as opposed his Mathias who embraced evil the second something bad happened to him, knowing the consequences full well.
FACTS!!! Leon is literally the best Belmont, he had killed his one true love to save everyone. He went through so much, and people forget about him.
Due to his sacrifice the Belmont’s have ultimate weapon the vampire killing whip >:3
Dude's a living Jonathan Joestar
Leon besto Belmont
and he kept his word "This whip and my kinsmen will destroy you someday." it took 905 years but it happened
All of that in a name and character design
That's how meticulous all authors should be
The Netflix version probably will not do that, but the castlevania anime could very well be a Jojo-type of anime where there would be time skips and each “ part” would have a new protagonist
Just without stands. And no gangsters.
It would become repetitive
@@ajguevara6961 No. No it wouldn't ._.
Shanoa would be amazing
@@bappojujubes981 Just reminding you Soma does have a stand(Multiple actually),ORAs and guns(pistols that he shoots in very stylish manner,a RPG and a Laser cannon).I betcha he also got Hamon and something that spins.
I find it pretty interesting that the preservation of his love interest Mina is what determines Soma's ability to control his dark powers seeing as the original reason Dracula took the dark turns he did was because he lost the women he loved. It's also pretty noteworthy that during the bad endings/Julius mode playthroughs, Soma's personality seems to be fully overridden by Dracula's as he regains all of his old manurisms and the hatred he built up over the years. Suffering a loss the way he did before was enough to reawaken the count to his centuries of malice.
So he's just Dracula but his girlfriend doesn't die.
@@nkyfong Pretty much
Would Soma becoma a vampire again if he became Dracula?
@@Ronnie_aus_Schnaxlreuth Debatably, we don't actually know. Dracula's Vampirism comes from this red stone he obtained in lament if Innocence so it's hard to say if Soma would become a vampire when fill with Dracula's darkness.
@@marche800 Yes, I thought so too. In the case of Mathias he gained vampirism by absorbing Walters soul/dark powers, that's why i am thinking that Soma would actually become a vampire. On the top you can see him as Dracula with a glass filled with a red liquid.
I imagined a Soma-like character becoming a anti-hero master of a estate with "roguelike" Chaos Architecture similar to Castlevania . The twist is that he's NOT AN EVIL OVERLORD. He's the master to keep the "dark ecology " of the place in check, the Apex Alpha. IF he wanted he could have expanded his domain.
Of course, some PEOPLE just want to get that kind of power...
PRESS START
now that is a game I would like to play.
I know it has been a year since you wrote this comment but I too would like to play this game. Might I suggest downloading Unity and learning a bit about how to realize your vision?
This could be the next game for Castlevania, just replace the Soma-like character with Soma’s grandson/descendant and have the source of the dark ecology be Soma’s corpse
So basically the game have a nice death?
Soma after becoming the dark lord while having his handgun equipped:
Damn it feels good to be a dark lord.
A real gangsta-ass dark lord plays his cards right.
Long enthusiastic walks.
Soma is essentially Dracula's reborn redemption.
He is the second coming of a vampire
He can hit wit "life essence"
He can stop time
Soma is DIO confirmed
"A son named Alucard" Well a son named Adrian who later took up the moniker Alucard.
And after changed his name to Genya Arikado
@@DJ_Comuna
That sounds like a juicy fruit
As someone who's struggled with BPD soma's story really resonated with me since I know what it feels like having a monster inside you and being afraid it could break free and hurt the people you care about.
Ok hank hill
bpd is not what you are claiming, bpd - extreme highs, extreme lows
you are mistaking bpd for a cartoon disease
@@smokythecameraman I have BPD and the person has BPD, and their point is valid.
You do not know more than the people who live with it. (Respectfuly)
14:45
"Death withdraws coolly"
Dawn of Sorrow was my first Castlevania game, and since then I'm in love with the serie. Soma was indeed an amazing protagonist. Well written, beautiful as fuck (I am straight but really the artworks for the castlevania characters are out of this world. Look at those eyes!!) and also he was, with Shanoa, probably the most powerful of all protagonists.
To be honest though, I liked the ending where he thought Celia really killed Mina and became Dracula because I was tired of "all things end in a good way" trope... that being said, I didn't know Mina was the reincarnation of Lisa, so today I changed my mind. Seeing it as a way for Drac to finally be with the person he loved and be together in a normal life almost brings a tear to my eyes.
I miss Castlevania man. The story, the atmosphere, THE 2D (I know that besides God of Wa... I mean Lords of Shadow there are other 3D games in the original story line but I never played those), the music, the characters, the art... It's so hard to swallow the fact that it's something I won't experience anymore. Don't get me wrong, I know about Bloodstained (and I'll buy it for sure) but the name "Castlevania" on the box and the game intro brings a feeling nothing could ever replace.
I guess that's also the thing. Both endings are enjoyable; but I actually like the good ending more personally because it's him finally coming to peace with himself, especially in context to its massive history of self-sacrifice and eternal evil.
Soma and alucard are the best main characters in the entire series, shanoa comes in a close second.
A castlevania video?
A video on my favorite character?
A "The Beauty of" video for my favorite character?
Meti your vast culture pleases me
smol correction, alucard's given name is adrian, he later took on alucard (dracula backwards as everyone knows) to show his opposition to his father's ideals.
Alucard,Shanoa and Soma/Dracula are literally the best characters in the Castlevania series.
and they aren't even belmonts
"Shanoa"
Huh
@@cake6851 Are you getting beef with my schizoid waifu? Mess with Shanoa and embrace your doomoa.
@@Zacapisco3 my fault man. Not trying to get smoked
@@Xx1devilgod1xX that's what I was gonna say, like all 3 just stands more than anyone in the lore of castlevania games
I really hope that they explore the 99' wars, when Julius Belmont finally fulfilled his duty as a Belmont, and defeated Dracula "once and for all"
Nah, Konami would never do that
"In a pretty peaceful state"
*Laughs in Aeon's Timeline Fuckery*
Soma : *Ah shit , here we go again*
Soma’s last encounter with death was poetic. Still showing loyalty to Dracula he gave soma the option to pursue the throne, and respected the decline.
the power of dominance comes from the pact he made with "the false god" before the events of cv3 ,as stated in the japanese manual of castlevania 3, with it he became the dark lord
wasn't this retconed?
@@marrvynswillames4975 nope, the only thing retconed in the japanese manual was alucard origins, now he is a damphir, the pact with the false god is also mentioned in the japanese credits of lament of innocence and in the manga that came with curse of darkness
So he got the power of dominice from making a pact with Chaos?
isn't he like a baby right now?
He's 2 years old
Soon he'll go to kindergarten! :)
As of 2021, he's probably about three or four years old.
Literally yes
Long enthusiastic walks
I loved the deep dive analysis of soma, I liked how soma was twist in comparison to both alucard and Belmont that instead of being equipped with an arsenal and magic, he takes the unique characteristics of his would be henchman. Near the end of your video you spoke quite passionately of how soma is, on the whole, a conclusion to the saga of count dracula within the Castlevania franchise. I'd like to add some of my thoughts. My favorite character in Castlevania being alucard, I really enjoyed watching alucard spur soma down the right path of redeeming his humanity, and in extension, the souls of his parents. It really adds depth to the final scene of alucard and dracula in SOTN, Alucard has the two lines "trouble the soul of my mother no more." Then after dracula asks how could he be defeated, alucard tells him "you were doomed the moment you lost the ability to love". It really feels like my favorite character's effort to hide from the earth til he was needed again truly paid off in the end. But anyways,I really enjoyed the video.
Ah yes more representation of OG Dark Souls
Soma and Shannoa are two of the most badass characters in the series and they tragically lack whips
Would've kind of liked to see Shanoa get a whip glyph, especially considering how *spoiler alert* all the villagers are descendants of the Belmonts. It would probably be called something like Melio Flagellum.
Soma does have the Whip Sword tho
Alucard and Soma Cruz always have been my referents to kick-ass personas and beauty standards. It's not homo, It's _bishonen_
The only problem with the Soma games is the cocktease that is the battle of the millennium not being a real game. It's like "Oh yeah, the most important battle against Dracula? The one for all the marbles that changed the fate of the world? You don't get to see it. But I assure you, it was AMAZING!"
To this day i still don't get why they didn't release the game about that. That and also give Alucard DLC about 2012 era where the Mayan calendar ends.
@@zapperil I like to pretend that Lords of Shadow 2 was the Battle of the Millenium and Drac dies at the end fighting Lucifer. It almost fits and allows me to integrate LoS into the main timeline.
Thanks meti Soma is usually pretty underrated
*Kurugaii.. ALUCARDO.*
The way soma says "JURIUS BE RU MON DO" is just diabolical
i heard this
Yes! Soma and Shanoa are my favorite castlevania characters. 👍🏾😁
To be honest, I've never seen an "Heir" character as good as Soma. I found some people assuming automatically that his story is shit because it's so Anime. But, my guy, the dark lord candidate is the one that defeated Chaos, the source of what a dark lord should be. That sentence alone teems with good story.
4:33
Meti throwing some JoJo references in there.
Wait so if Soma and Mina were to have a child would that technically be Alucard's sibling
Yes and no
Yesn't
Yes. I mean, no. Kind of...?
You're crazy. To assume a reincarnated person having a family results in the new family related to the progenitor's former life family, that would go as far as saying everyone should be related to everyone.
@@ub-4630 *Sweet Home Castlevania*
Years ago, i played Aria and Dawn of Sorrow here on my phone through a GBA and a DS emulator. I got multiple attempts on getting the right endings and now after watching this video and knowing all the references and more details, it really enlightens me...
There was an ending at Dawn of Sorrow where Soma gets consumed by the dark power and you'll be using Arikado aka Alucard and company to defeat him in his dark lord state. Ahh i miss playing it! 😄
*Fun Fact... from 12 years ago*
During my youthful teenage years while I was 12 years old I think; I was making my Top 10 Castlevania OSTs and take note during that time, *Lament of Innocence* was already released along with the "Sorrow Series", Aria of Sorrow and *Dawn of Sorrow*.
It was during that video creation time where "Lament of Innocence's" *Cross of Fate* and "Aria of Sorrow's" *The Castle Corridor* melodically sound the same. The very first time I heard it my jaw dropped as I theorized there must be some resemblance on the two stories.
And here I am, someone confirmed it that both Soma Cruz and Mathia Cronqvist which both are different people but technically are the same soul.
Soma is really up there for me, amazing character.
It’s interesting how much of your character analysis is actually just a plot summary. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining per se. It is just that this was honestly more focused on overall plot, and even Dracula’s character, than it was Soma’s character.
That just means Soma is a blank slate. Think about it, not a single adjective was thrown his way.
Gotta get that content out boi
@@bappojujubes981 most castlevania characters are like that, the only exceptions are Dracula and Maybe Shannoa
The thing with the game though was that the game's plot "is" all about his character journey, so it's pretty much impossible to discuss one without the other given that all the situations are constantly testing him.
I would love a sequel to Castlevania Judgment with the Soma Saga characters added to it. The pre-fight dialogue alone will be worth it!
Also with new redesignes
Soma vs Richter is gonna be the highlight of the game , also have him travel with the DS Squad ( Jonathan , Charlotte, Shanoa ) , i can see him goofing around with Jonathan tbh
@@zapperil I agree and I would love a sequel to judgement with way better designs as well as watching the characters interact with each other. I would also love to see more of Aeon he is my favorite.
@@MotherNature101 My iteration would ne taken in Mid-Aria though , with him and Shanoa being partners in the start of the game.
That until Soma defeated Dracula and gets his soul , finally realized that he is Dracula reincarnated.
Now the problem is , Soma had to fight other heroes to convince that he had no intention of becoming Dracula . Since him and Shanoa in the game are pretty close , he tried to convince her first.
You would've guessed , they fought. The battle mirrors Julius' fight for Soma , and Albus' fight for Shanoa.
@@zapperil That be interesting to see. I like when people get creative. 😃
Hard to say who's my fav Castlevania playable character, Julius, Richter, Charlotte or Shanoa. My fav character is Death though. Man I never noticed that touch with pre and post Draculas that is a real nice touch there.
You know it's going to be a good video when a Castlevania ad plays before a video of your favorite character
Fun fact : Soma means Moon (Chandra) in sanskrit language. Kuru was one of the greatest warrior and ruler of the great Chandra/ lunar dynasty describe in holy indian epic Mahabharata, that's why it also called Kuru dynasty. In sanskrit 'Kurusu Soma' means 'the great moon of Kuru/lunar dynasty'😇
Mathias finally got his happy ending
Mathias/Dracula just wanted to live a quiet life.
I'm glad you made a video on Soma.
Hell even another Castlevania video.
Kinda coincidental seeing as the Anniversary collection comes out tomorrow.
Hmmmm
His name is a whole lot more complicated than I expected. Really makes me appreciate the little details
There's something oddly touching about Death's respect for Soma's choice to be human, say what you will about Death but he is Loyal
This video blew my mind.
I played aria of sorrow last summer and I had no idea it was this deep thematically
Poor Dracula had his origin story happen twice, that's as if dead pool no longer had cancer, only to get it again a week later
*Feeling an urge to make a DMC reference*
aster n. The time has come, and so have I
aster n.
BANG BANG BANG. PULL MY DEVIL TRIGGER!
Foolishness Alucard Foolishness.....
Let's rock!
Why i actually can see Soma and Dante become bros
1:30 in this.... sigh
Man I loved the Soma Cruz arc!
Bloodstaind Ritual of the Night coming out next month
PC Mirriam is supposed to play like Soma using enemies essence as weapons/abilities/skills/pets/stat augments
I just realised after so many years, arikado sounds like the Japanese pronunciation of Alucard
Y'know, Soma would make a perfect SMT protagonist when you think about it.
Thanks for the video! Soma has always been my favourite character but your video brought new depth to him and I was happy for a refresher on why he's such a badass!
I don't know what other series you'd be willing to do this series with, but I'd personally love a "The Glory of Klavier Gavin" video someday.
Death: Be Dracula again.
Soma: No, no...I don't think I will.
Death : Understandable , have a nice day
Who actually remembers/played harmony of despair? Used to play it everyday till bed time after school with strangers across the world. Good times.
I’m loving these Castlevania videos.
Me: *still waiting for Julius's game*
So nostalgic, Dawn of Sorrow was my first castlevania.
After watching this video... yeah, I agree that Soma is a great character (and with Richter Belmont my favorite) and also the Sorrow duology games are really great due to the depth of it's message with the good endings, while the bad ones you could kinda say is more like fan service than anything else (kinda), but yeah, with those things about Dracula himself and Lisa (and the fact that Mina could also be considered a reincarnation of Dracula's wife (something that NEVER came to my mind) AND taking a look to Lament of Inocence Dracula and that key scene in Dawn of Sorrow), makes prefect sense why Konami tried to reboot the series, as there is little room to make a sequel or even prequels.
I love your out look on one of my favorite Castlevania characters and the way your as passionate as I am when speaking about him.I first feel in love with Soma because as a female I was like he is hot looking and then the more I learned about him the deeper I feel.He's very sweet to just he hides it when caught with a smart remark or a shut up to whomever sees it and says something of it.I think he's a shy guy to.lol
one of the best castlevania videos
Soma is high key my favorite Castlevania character. He is best MAN.
love aria and dawn. gives me a good cry at the end.
Actually he's a double reincarnation because in the events of Castlevania 64 and it's prequel, Legacy of Darkness, Dracula used Cornell's beast power to get reincarnated as Malus.
All these comments are focused on Soma's gun but let me remind you all that soma legit thought he could square up against zombie soldiers and all of dracula's castle with a pocket knife... Like straight up this man could care less
I think one of Soma's trait is how scarily calm he is when the situation is dire , like he just seen a guy who transformed into an abomination of corpses and his reaction is just like "this thing is dangerous if it escapes , might as well just slay it here"
I've been in love with the series for years and only now did I make the comparison between Soma and Mathias, along with everything else you said, thanks to you.
It really IS the best ending we could have ever gotten. Two souls in love refusing to stay apart for 1000 years, only to find happiness.
Gotta love the stroke he has at the end
I did see a lot of people who said that Soma was their most disliked character due to his personality.
While I understand where they were coming from, storywise and thematically, I also thought that Soma's story was probably the most meaningfully powerful. For he was the story of conclusion to the overall Castlevania timeline in a very meaningful way; he, the next Dracula, simply up and saying "no" to fate itself to become the next bringer of evil to the world, and using his dark powers for good. Its why he's my favorite Castlevania protagonist.
Its a great conclusion considering how he can finally live peacefully with his love. Also, i find it fascinating since the time gap is so long and to see modern take of Dracula still keeping that love towards Lisa and all the reincarnations. Soma is Soma in the end.
I hope you make more videos about Aria of Sorrow (and Castlevania as a whole), it's my favorite game and I love Soma so much!!!
Great video :3
It be cool to have Soma Cruz as a DLC character for Smash Ultimate, It could be fun to use his unique moves even in classic mode where he face his past self, As all say that...
I am you and you are me.
I like the subtle connection between Elisabetha, Lisa, and Mina. Elisabetha died of illness. Lisa who succeeded Elisabetha was a doctor. Lisa was accused of witchcraft and executed, which can be tied to religion. Mina who succeeded Lisa grew up in a Shinto shrine, and thus is tied to religion.
So if Mina died by a cult... then her reincarnation... is a cult leader ?
@@zapperil Are you referring to Christianity and Shintoism as cults? That’s not very respectful to people who hold these beliefs. My point was that Lisa was executed for witchcraft. Even though Dracula’s minions facilitated mankind turning on Lisa, witchcraft executions in general had religious links (not just Christianity). Mina grew up in a religious household and is a Shinto shrine maiden.
@@Mia-dt3gl No , i mean in Sorrow series, there are cults who often targets Soma to either for him to become Dracula , or bring their own candidate as the new dark lord.
From what i get on that post , Elizabetha died and yet always reincarnated as the one what killed them in the first place.
Elizabetha died because of illness > Lisa was a doctor > Lisa died by persecution of witchery , which related to religion in that era > Mina is a shrine maiden which ties into religion.
So , in case Mina died by one of the cult who targets Soma then...
Man did I love this . Keep up with the good work !
Glad to see another Castlevania video. Also it’s kinda funny that the games that are considered the best metroidvania’s in the series both involve relatives of Dracula
Dawn of Sorrow was my first Castlevania game ❤
The Glory of gassin up our boy Soma. This video is phenomenal, thank you
It's a shame that Soma Cruz has become a reincarnation of Dracula Vlad Tepes even though he was an exchange student and a good hero in the Castlevania franchise. Ever since Soma Cruz gained the dark power of Dracula he ended up becoming the next new Dracula and the he had a hard time fighting the dark power over himself and the Belmont family couldn't even do anything to help Soma Cruz and turn back to his old self and be the hero that he use to be and get his old life back but he can is be a rival and an anti-hero to the Belmonts and the rest of the characters in the series. For starters Soma Cruz is handsome.
As much as i want bloodstained to be great, i feel that the lore of castlevania was a big part of why this series was so good, and it's going to be something that i'll miss.
Nice video. Wish you would do more Castlevania stuff.
Fun fact Mina is a character in the original Dracula novel.
Hell yeah, he's my favorit video game character ever! I instantly fall in love with Castlevania games because of Aria of Sorrow when I was 11 year old boy. Thanks for making this video 👍
I was an 11 yrs old girl when i first played aria of sorrow too!
Daww, I love that art of Mina carrying Soma.
Is it official?
This is what Castlevania really is about.
A story of a man who lost his love over and over again, to the point his love turned into infinite hatred.
A tragic story indeed
Best character from castlevania, I really love him and wish he somehow makes it into smash or a new remake or game
Honestly this was my favorite game of the castlevania series
Ironically, Soma is also a REALLY strong muscle relaxer that is highly addictive.
The best part is Death coming to him after trying to kill him twice and just "yo ain't ya Dark Lord anymore boss?" Then leaving. Death is such an amazing character too.
Death: Will you be the Dark Lord again?
Soma: No.
Death: Understandable, have a nice day.
Also damn, in the novel Death has SOME standarts.
@@aznereth3767 Death has always had a very interesting loyalty. Time and time again helping or ignoring the heroes for the sake of Dracula. If Jonathan and Charlotte weren't such brats they could've tagged with Death during Portrait. Of course they would still fight in the end, but they had the opportunity.
I love how you put clips of the netflix adaptation in there. I cannot overstate how much I adored the show.