Once in a while, a game throws up a phrase or a scene that transcends from being merely being pixels into something far greater. I am, of course, talking about what is a man in Castlevania.
Oh, and by something far greater, I am of course talking about a meme.
We’ve had Ghost from Destiny and his ‘World’s Grave’ speech and Joel from The Last Of Us and his inspiring talking about finding something to fight for.
Still, nothing quite beats the iconic speech between Dracula and Richter Belmont in Dracula: Symphony of the Night.
I know some of you are probably wondering what on earth I’m talking about, but don’t worry. I’ll map everything out for you below, and pretty soon you’ll know all about what is a man in Castlevania!
I wish somebody would explain it already; the sentence makes no sense!
Delving Into What Is A Man In Castlevania
So, there’s a scene in this epic game where Richter Belmont, whip wielding protagonist of the Belmont clan, confronts Dracula and has a chinwag with him.
It goes a little something like this…
Richter Belmont: Die monster. You don’t belong in this world!
Dracula: It was not by my hand I was once again given flesh. I was brought here by humans who wished to pay me tribute!
Richter Belmont: Tribute!? You steal men’s souls, and make them your slaves!
Dracula: Perhaps the same could be said of all religions…
Richter Belmont: Your words are as empty as your soul! Mankind ill needs a savior such as you!
Dracula: What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets. But enough talk… Have at you!
See the last line?
That, dear reader, is what is a man in Castlevania.
It’s Dracula breaking man, in this case, down into his simplest form; a miserable little pile of secrets…
… something for the Tinder profile bio, perhaps?
How What Is A Man In Castlevania Became A Popular Meme
You know how these things work by now. Little gems like this can remain unnoticed for years, and then suddenly someone picks up on them and brings them to the masses.
That’s exactly what happened when Angry Video Game Nerd picked up on this what is a man quote.
After his Youtube clip gained traction, multiple retro gaming enthusiasts turned the speech into epic readings and remixes, turning this little forgotten scene into a global phenomenon.
Not that Dracula isn’t already a global phenomenon, but you get the idea…
And that’s a wrap!
Finally, now you know all about the what is a man in Castlevania hype that’s been going on for years.
I’m not going to lie, it doesn’t make a lot of sense unless you’ve actually played Symphony of the Night, but at least now you can look knowledgeable the next time someone mentions at a party or gaming convention.
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Seb Santabarbara has bought every Nintendo console that has ever been released in his 33 years on Planet Earth. His favourite game franchise is Zelda, and he’s patiently waiting for Banjo-Kazooie to come back to the fold. When he’s not playing games, he’s travelling the world in his self-converted camper van.
