10 of the Best All-Time, Vampire-Slaying Castlevania Tracks
If there’s one thing that is inextricably part of the DNA of the Castlevania franchise, beyond the gothic horror and whip-swinging, cross-flinging action and platforming, it’s a reputation for ear-worming, toe-tapping soundtracks. From the opening moments of 1986’s Castlevania, the first game in the series for the NES, the player is immediately plunged into an experience that often sounded even better than it looked and felt. That leadoff track, “Vampire Killer,” would go on to become more or less the official anthem of the entire series, remixed and reimagined countless times in nearly every Castlevania title that would follow (more than 30 to date), across numerous game systems and the Netflix animated series. You shouldn’t be surprised to find it on this list.
Ah, but what else makes the cut, when you’re paring down so many classic Castlevania tracks to the very best of the best? I will admit that I have some favoritism here: My preference in Castlevania music is to draw from games in the 8-bit and 16-bit eras, so you won’t find any tunes from newer generations here. Although in all fairness, the best tracks from so many newer Castlevania entries are these very songs, remixed and rearranged yet again. The tracks below are part of the intrinsic fabric of Castlevania itself, reappearing every so often like the reconstitution of Dracula himself. You can’t kill “Vampire Killer,” any more than you can kill this franchise.
So with that said, let’s embark on one more Nintendo Hard ascent through Dracula’s castle with this seasonally appropriate, enduringly catchy collection of spooky Castlevania classics.
10. “New Messiah” – Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revenge
Entries in the Castlevania series for the Game Boy are generally not as beloved as ones for the main line consoles in the 8-bit and 16-bit era, and it’s not terribly difficult to see why–the graphics are blobby and indistinct, the controls tend to be punishing even by Castlevania standards, and the hardware of the device itself can’t compete sonically with the musical ability of even the NES. The games for the Game Boy, starting with Castlevania: The Adventure just don’t sound quite the same, and they can’t match up against the more complex, delicate or “tinkly” tracks from the NES. But with that said, there are some banger tracks from these games worthy of highlighting, so I wanted to give at least one of them a shout-out.
“New Messiah” has something in common with many classic Castlevania toe-tappers: It leads off the game. Many of the very best tracks in the series can say the same, and it’s a natural place to stick an up-tempo, high energy opener–something to get the player jazzed while they learn how to jump, whip and use sub-weapons. Tracks like “New Messiah” emanate a feeling of confidence and heroism, lending a false sense of bravado and assurance to players as they tackle the easiest part of the game, thinking “I can handle this, no problem.” Of course, the player is pretty much always in for a rude awakening. “New Messiah” sounds a little coarse and crunchy thanks to the Game Boy hardware, but its greater evocation of bass tones also makes it pretty unique among the tracks on this list. It goes hard and fast, feeling powerful, less gothic and moody than other Castlevania tracks and a little more inspired by something like progressive rock. That’s a common aspect to the soundtracks of Game Boy Castlevania games, and “New Messiah” is a great example of Game Boy music at its best.
9. “Divine Bloodlines” – Castlevania: Rondo of Blood
Also labeled simply as “Bloodlines,” this track originates from Rondo of Blood, a game not necessarily quite as well known to the more casual Castlevania fan thanks to the fact that it was originally produced for the TurboGrafx-16, or the PC Engine outside of the U.S. The game eventually was remade for the SNES as Castlevania: Dracula X in 1995, but the superior soundtrack remained in this original version, which can boast several of the best Castlevania tunes of the 16-bit era.
“Divine Bloodlines” is thought of as being basically the personal theme music of Rondo of Blood protagonist Richter Belmont, a pivotal figure in Castlevania lore who is also the anchor of Netflix’s Castlevania: Nocturne. Taking advantage of the improved technology, “Divine Bloodlines” feels like an orchestrally tinged rock tune, with guitar-like tones leading the way, supported by lush strings and skittering drums. It’s not quite as dark or oppressive as some of the other biggest Castlevania anthems, instead favoring a high-energy, relatively upbeat cadence.
8. “Heart of Fire” – Castlevania
Our first entry (but not the last) from the original NES Castlevania, “Heart of Fire” is a particularly gothic-sounding track that accompanies one of the game’s most legendarily difficult stretches, a seemingly simple hallway that becomes anything but, thanks to the combination of attacking knights and an insatiable swarm of flying medusa heads. You can’t stop to think; you have to simply act on instinct. These relatively short NES games made difficulty a major element of their replayability, and the “Heart of Fire” hallway is a daunting test of one’s ability to multitask.
The central melody here is catchy but not necessarily iconic, until it hits the rapid, harpsichord-sounding staccato of its refrain, each pass of which gets just a tiny bit louder and more insistent. The overall impression is like an actual piece of period music, given an 8-bit heavy metal makeover. It’s an excellent example of the subtle layers of planning that go into this kind of 8-bit composition.
7. “Dance of Illusions” – Castlevania: Rondo of Blood
Like an annoying number of other Castlevania tracks, this one doesn’t always seem to have the same name from game to game–sometimes it’s called “Illusionary Dance” instead. Whatever you call it, this is one of the series’ most imposing sounding compositions in pretty much every version. Few Castlevania tracks sound more pumped up and majestic, with big soaring strings, horns and positively evil-sounding pipe organ, which I think we can headcanon as being played by Dracula himself.
In fact, this track is often portrayed as personal theme music of Dracula, or the immediate lead-up to fighting the vampire one on one. It seems designed to intimidate via sheer grandiosity and muscle, and it definitely gets the point across. If Dracula was ever making a pro wrestling-style entrance, you can bet that “Dance of Illusions” is what would be accompanying him on the way to the ring.
6. “Aquarius” – Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse
Pound for pound, Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse might be the MVP of the series in terms of its OST, except perhaps for the original. Regardless, practically every musical entry in the third and final Castlevania title for the NES is excellent, few more so than “Aquarius.”
This has a swaggering, heroic sound to it to steel the player’s determination–you can feel the resolve of Trevor Belmont (the protagonist of Netflix’s first Castlevania adaptation) and his companions in their quest to send Dracula back to his grave. The propulsive drum beat keeps you moving as you race to stay ahead of obstacles like rising water, while the pipe organ-like introduction and closing infuses it with just enough mystery, although the overall runtime (and loop) is on the shorter side. Oftentimes, the music of classic Castlevania entries almost seems to serve a morale purpose more than anything, which is the case here–the music strives to keep you engaged and not totally frustrated at the legendarily punishing difficulty and many deaths.
5. “Theme of Simon” – Super Castlevania IV
Super Castlevania IV was how the series first arrived in the 16-bit era on the SNES in 1991, in a game that was conceived as being more or less a remake/reimagining of the original Castlevania, albeit with entirely new and vastly expanded gameplay. As the player took up the whip as Simon Belmont again, then, Nintendo needed an opening track that would be on par with something like “Vampire Killer,” and “Theme of Simon” was the answer.
This track has such an atmospheric opening, the spooky organ conjuring imagery of the rusted gates of Dracula’s castle creaking open to welcome you to the site of your impending doom. But the track then kicks into an organ-driven rock number, supported by passages that sound more like an SNES approximation of woodwinds, like oboe or clarinet. You really get the full benefit of the Super Nintendo’s greater ability to evoke orchestral instruments compared with the NES, which gives “Theme of Simon” a more full and lush feel than anything from the prior generation. It makes Simon Belmont feel like a full-on superhero.
4. “Vampire Killer” – Castlevania
The only question wasn’t whether this track would be present, but where exactly it would fall in the ranking. There’s no other piece of music so tied to the Castlevania aesthetic and legacy as “Vampire Killer,” and no other song from the series has been reimagined, reworked and transformed so many times in all the subsequent games. It’s difficult at times to find a game without a version of this track somewhere in it. But in the end, we actually think there’s one more track in the original Castlevania OST that still trumps it.
But with that said, “Vampire Killer” is of course a stone cold classic. It leads off the original game for the NES in grand style, conveying the gothic horror sensibilities of the style perfectly–it feels dangerous and mysterious, hinting at the terrors ahead. Some of the Castlevania opening tracks can be very upbeat and almost positive sounding, but “Vampire Killer” really roots itself in that sense of danger and mystique. It builds impeccably to its operatic conclusion, which loops perfectly, feeding itself right back into the start of the tune, which serves to hide the fact that the entire composition is only 30 seconds long. Talk about setting an unforgettable tone in the shortest possible amount of time.
3. “Wicked Child” – Castlevania
Our number one selection from the original NES Castlevania is “Wicked Child,” a track that any fan of the series knows and loves, but simultaneously one that doesn’t always get quite the same level of esteem as other series classics. I’m not sure why exactly that is: Few tunes in the entire series are as instantly catchy and memorable as “Wicked Child.” It’s the kind of track that you’ll be lucky to listen to and not find yourself constantly whistling it for the next 48 hours, perhaps because it’s so short and easy to endlessly loop. You can’t finish this tune without immediately flowing right back into its beginning.
The tone here is bouncy and energetic, starting with a slightly more moody introduction before leaping into the rollicking chorus of rapidly rising and falling notes. It’s almost like this melody captures the spatial experience of platforming in a Castlevania title; the desperate jumps and near constant falls as you try to decipher attack patterns. The skittering percussion really keeps you on your toes, while the building crescendo leading into the repetition of the main theme is extremely satisfying no matter how many times it loops. Another one of those Castlevania tunes that helps you keep moving through difficult stretches when you’re ready to give up.
2. “Bloody Tears” – Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest
I may have done Simon’s Quest a bit of a disservice here by only including one track from the infamously difficult first Castlevania sequel, but in a list of only 10, space was clearly at a premium. Besides, pretty much any Castlevania fan who has ever picked up a whip knew that at least one of the tracks would be here: There was no chance that “Bloody Tears” was going to be left at the wayside.
Of all the Castlevania music out there, only “Vampire Killer” is more instantly recognizable than “Bloody Tears,” and I don’t think it would be inaccurate to call this the single most popular and beloved piece of Castlevania music on a wider scale. There’s absolutely a reason why it’s been remixed so many times in other games of the series, and even served as the climactic action music in the best episode of the Castlevania anime on Netflix. Everyone loves “Bloody Tears,” and rightfully so–it’s equal parts wild and fearsome, urging the player forward to explore as much of the world of Simon’s Quest as they can before nightfall. You really get a sense of urgency here, propelling you forward like time is running out and you need to conquer all of your obstacles right now. Many of the classic Castlevania tracks evoke a pipe organ aesthetic, but few do it as memorably as this one does in its opening seconds. It’s honestly incredible how much of a journey “Bloody Tears” takes you on in the only 30 seconds it takes to loop. Genius level composing for the NES.
1. “Beginning” – Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse
So many of the classic Castlevania tracks have evocative, spooky names–“Heart of Fire,” “Wicked Child,” etc–that I’ve always been sort of amazed that Castlevania III kicks off with a tune called nothing but “Beginning” of all things. It feels like a missed opportunity, and I wonder if this one would be more memorable to the average gamer if it had a title that more instantly grabbed the imagination. Regardless, it’s a masterpiece–a statement of principles for Castlevania III and the entire 8-bit era of the series on the NES by extension.
Key to this is that “Beginning” is about twice the length of something like “Bloody Tears,” which just gives it more wiggle room to evolve. It has a more developed little overture to begin, a “welcome to the game” aesthetic that flows into an adventurous, dungeon-crawling tune that sounds like many other classical Castlevania tracks, but it then leaps into a more energized back half that builds to a fantastic crescendo as the high-toned, harpsichord-like notes roll out at incredibly rapid speed. It effectively walks you through multiple subgenres of Castlevania music all in the span of a minute, summing up what the series is all about. Dracula himself couldn’t craft something more hypnotic.
Jim Vorel is Paste’s resident horror guru. You can follow him on Twitter for much more film content.