Trevor Belmont
† Full name: Trevor C. Belmont. In the Japanese version of Dracula’s Curse (Akumajou Densetsu) his full name is: “Ralph C. Belmondo” and in Yami No Juin (Curse of Darkness) the same (though without the middle name initial). Some have theorized the C means ’Christopher’, partly because Adventure and Dracula’s Curse were in development roughly during the same time. It is unknown why his first name was changed for versions outside Japan.
† According to the current official timeline Trevor is the first Belmont to have killed Dracula.
† In Symphony of the Night, the doppelganger of Sypha Belnades has to be killed before that of Trevor’s as “Sypha” will resurrect “Trevor”. Just like the real Trevor, his doppelganger can use subweapons in the SotN fight. The throwing cross he uses is made of bones and leaves a trail of blood behind.
† The name comes from a Welsh surname taken initially from the name of a habitation. “Tref” means “village” in the Welsh language, while “mawr” means “big”. Therefore, the name means “big village”.
† In the PAL and NTSC versions of Dracula’s Curse Trevor is lefthanded while in Akumajou Densetsu he is righthanded.
† Trevor is mentioned as the great-great-grandfather of Simon in the cartoon series Captain N, but assuming there is over 200 years between Castlevania and Dracula’s Curse, he would likely be Simon’s great-great-great-great-grandfather. The series is known for disregarding and altering the known facts of any game series and therefor this is information is no way valid, as has been proven many times before. Unlike the other CV characters in the show, Trevor did not appear in person, but was central to the story of the episode “Return to Castlevania”.
Playable:
Dracula’s Curse
Curse of Darkness (unlockable)
Judgment
Appears:
Symphony of the Night (though the real Trevor has been long dead, a Trevor doppelanger is a boss in the game)
From rags to riches
Before the Belmont family rose to the status of a commonly trusted, vampire-slaying clan, the residents of the village of Wallachia in Romania banished the Belmonts from their midst because of their supernatural abilities. They still maintained their incredible reputation, almost turning into folklore as time went by. Even as outcasts, the family continued the work Leon had began in his time – for a society that hated and feared them. But there became a time when the people of Wallachia turned to the Belmonts in need of their help.
Trevor had the honour of starring in what is widely considered to be the best of the Castlevania NES trilogy (some would say it is the best in the series). In Symphony of the Night, Richter knows his famous ancestor well, and mentions him in the conversation between him and Alucard. Alucard, too, remembers Trevor as an important and powerful ally. This fact is later used against him in one of SotN’s fights.
Fifteen years later in the real world and three years later after Dracula’s Curse in the Castlevania chronology, Trevor returned in three-dimensional form. He was a central, but not a canonically playable character in Curse of Darkness. Reciprocally Alucard, Sypha Belnades and Grant DaNasty did not appear in the game.
Dracula’s Curse (1990) – 1476
After Dracula began his war to wipe out humanity, Trevor Belmont, the rightful bearer of the Vampire Killer, was at the peak of his strength and skills. The same society that had spurned him, now desperately called him to save it. Remembering the importance of his clan’s cause, he put his personal feelings aside and accepted the task. Wandering to the dead-silent village which lay in ruins because of Dracula’s army, Trevor prayed and regained his strength. With the intention to not only destroy Dracula, but to prove his family’s power and righteousness, he began his journey alone.
Before arriving at Dracula’s fortress, Trevor had to go through ten areas, each increasinly difficult to pass through, with fending off Dracula’s minions becoming more and more troublesome. The young warrior’s energy began to diminish, but after reaching the top of a clock tower things changed. After defeating a large, acrobatic creature, Trevor saw the monster turn into a human. He was Grant DaNasty, one of the rebels that opposed Dracula, who, along with his comrades was beaten by Dracula’s forces. The others, along with Grant’s own family, were killed, but Grant was cursed with a fate worse than death; being Dracula’s servant. Trevor, however, had managed to break the spell, turning Grant back to normal. Gratefully, Grant offered his help to Trevor. The two escaped the collapsing tower together and advanced further into Dracula’s domain. After coming to a forest they encountered a gigantic cyclops. Despite its brute strength, it was no match to the vampire hunters. After the cyclops fell lightning struck a statue behind the battlefield, which surprisingly began to move.
The person trapped by the cyclops and clad in robes, introduced herself as vampire hunter Sypha Belnades. Like Grant, she was going to stop Dracula, but was insidiously outnumbered and imprisoned by turning her into a statue. Though she seemed physically frail, Trevor sensed mystical powers emiting from her. The trio continued towards Dracula’s castle. The path took them underground, into a catacomb. At the end of it was an open coffin. Suddenly a dark figure appeared before them and started attacking by travelling around the room as swarm of bats and materializing to shoot three fireballs. As everyone and everything else so far, this attacker was shortly subdued. After morphing into a more human form, the young man approached the three, but this time without any intentions to attack them anymore.
Surprised that he was beaten, the man told Trevor he had nevertheless waited for this moment. Admitting he needs help in destroying Dracula, the man offered to join the hunters. Trevor sensed something dark about him, but was able to trust the man calling himself Alucard. The determined group was now close to the last battle. After some time, they finally arrive at the massive castle radiating darkness in the pale moonlight. In the bowels of the castle the stairs over nothingness lead to the innermost chamber of the castle, where Count Dracula sits on his throne. In his loneliness, he observes from the heights how the monsters he controls lay waste on the world, fulfilling the Dark Lord’s revenge. With only that in mind, Dracula began defending himself immediately against the four, who were approaching him steadily across the hall.
The battlehungry Dracula morphed twice, finally filling the whole throne room with his demonic presence. Trevor, the agile Grant, the skilled magician Sypha and Alucard with his powers much similar to Dracula, weakened him until Trevor finished the battle with a decisive strike dealt with the Vampire Killer. Letting out a roar that could be heard to the netherworld, Dracula lost, initiating a reaction to which the castle responded to. The four warriors escape the castle with their lives, stopping to a nearby mountain. From there they witness the unholy manifestation of Dracula’s dark powers crumble to the ground.
After a long battle and many sacrifices Dracula was dead and the spirits he had awoken were back to sleep. Trevor felt he had reclaimed his family’s rightful reputation. Thanks to Trevor’s victory, the people began to respect the Belmont family and they were finally welcomed back to their home village. Trevor looked at all his allies, who had all played a pivotal role. Grant was openly glad to have been able to not only avenge his dead family and comrades, but also free his home village of Dracula. Both Trevor and Grant felt they had formed a great friendship. Grant planned to start rebuilding the village Dracula’s powers had torn apart.
As he looks at Alucard, Trevor realizes why he sensed darkness in Alucard; Dracula’s blood flowed through his veins. As Alucard glances at the ruins, Trevor also understands Alucard feels guilty for killing his real father. Despite this, he sees Alucard is relieved too. Trevor was grateful to him for helping and Alucard for providing the support, without with neither could have probably been able to stop Dracula.
Sypha’s life had been bad so far, but after meeting Trevor she had started to feel better. Leaving the dangerous life of vampire hunting behind, she began a new life with Trevor and it is likely the two married later.
However, Trevor’s blood demanded he continue to hunt the night. This would ensure, that his first ordeals would not end in Dracula’s first defeat.
Curse of Darkness (2005) – 1479
Dracula’s body had been destroyed, but before his death three years ago, the dark lord had placed a demonic curse. It kept the whole of Europe in its iron fist, causing plague, famine and death and turning human hearts merciless and selfish. Trevor started looking for a possibility to remove the curse. He found out that the student of Dracula’s dark arts, a devil forgemaster, had something to do with the curse. While tracking him down, Trevor meets a man bearing the crest of devil forgery. Trevor needs only to know if the man is the devil forgemaster. The man admits he is, giving Trevor the confirmation needed for an attack.
The duel doesn’t end in death, however. Trevor weakens the man, causing him to collapse on the floor. This makes Trevor question if the man really was the devil forgemaster. Trevor knew Dracula’s powers well, making him wonder how a close servant of him could be so weak. The man understands Trevor is hunting down the guilty devil forgemaster too. He tells Trevor he is not the man he is looking for; Isaac. Trevor ponders who the man could be. He then remembers hearing about another devil forgemaster, who betrayed Dracula and relinquished his powers three years ago, during the war. The man identifies Trevor as the one who killed Dracula. Trevor admits this, but tells that he fought alongside many other brave warriors. Before the men go their separate ways, Trevor asks the man’s name, which is Hector.
Trevor founds Isaac later and begins a duel, which turns out to be more challenging than he expected. Isaac slits a small, bleeding wound on Trevor and mocks that the won Dracula by luck though admitting that Trevor is adept. Before anything decisive can happen, Hector appears. Isaac couldn’t fight both simultaneously, so he threatens to kill both Trevor and Hector later while using teleportation to escape. This proved to Trevor that Hector was truly after Isaac. Despite this, he found Hector’s involvement bothersome and urges him to leave stopping Isaac to him.
The next time Hector and Trevor meet in the ruins of Dracula’s abandoned castle. Hector was closing in the distance between him and Isaac, but to finish the hunt he needs to get to the castle’s secret chamber. Hector tells Trevor Isaac is waiting there. This is a surprise to Trevor, since the gate to the chamber can only be opened with Belmont blood. Trevor then realizes why Isaac attacked him earlier; to get blood from him. Trevor begins another duel with a reluctant Hector. The fight ends shortly and Trevor explains that anyone entering the chamber had to possess advanced powers, which is why he had to test Hector by attacking him. Trevor decides to give Hector a chance for the revenge he seeks. Cutting a wound on his hand, Trevor spills blood on the floor, opening the door to the secret chamber. Trevor urges Hector to corner Isaac and show him no mercy.
As Trevor observed the situation in the abandoned castle, something goes wrong. Dracula’s castle rises again. Before Trevor can do anything, Isaac catches him by surprise, stabbing him through the back with a dagger. Trevor had underestimated the abilities of devil forgemasters. Manipulated by Isaac, Hector had removed the seal that kept Dracula’s powers away from the world. The surge of demonic power nullified the seal, resurrecting Dracula’s castle. Isaac leaves Trevor to die in the castle ruins, but Julia LaForeze gets to him in time. He survives, though barely, and is unable to do anything for the remainder of the battle. Meanwhile, Hector succeeds in stopping Isaac and sending Dracula’s castle back into the abyss, effectively lifting the curse placed three years prior. So, despite his nearly fatal defeat, Trevor’s mission was accomplished.
Abilities and arsenal
In both DC and CoD, Trevor’s arsenal includes (in addition to the Vampire Killer) axes, throwing daggers, holy water, crosses and the stopwatch. In DC his moves are identical to Simon’s (in Castlevania & Simon’s Quest). In CoD he has more moves, such as kicking, whip spinning, double jump and dodging. He can also improve the Vampire Killer and ”Item crash” subweapons, much like Richter. As an adversary, his abilities were even more diverse and draining his life force is impossible.
Personality, appearance and popularity
In Dracula’s Curse he is wearing a brown robe, a cloth around his head and is protected by an upper body armor. In the game’s cover (US & EU versions) his hair is blond and straight. In-game the color is ambiguous, but looks curly.
The game reveals little about Trevor, as he himself says nothing in the game. The praying at the beginning and the epilogues of the game are basically the biggest indications of his personality.
Like Simon and Richter, Trevor’s second appearance presented him in a more refined look. He wears an long coat, long brown hair and has a scar over his left eye (according to the CoD manga he got it when fighting Dracula). Overall, he looks a lot like SotN’s Richter. In contrast to his previous muteness and almost nonexistent character development, CoD revealed more about his personality, revealing a hint of arrogance, at least when meeting Hector. Unlike Richter, however, Trevor doesn’t seem to have an actual ”dark side” and he considers his family’s mission to be his most important duty. This largely explains why he is personally trying to lift the curse evem though Dracula is no longer an imminent threat. Instead of living peacefully with Sypha, he continues to fight.
Despite the mediocrity of Curse of Darkness, it is likely the game increased Trevor’s overall popularity. Kojima’s fitting character illustration, a rather fitting voice actor and the possibility to get to know the classic NES era Belmont in 3-D form, were a working combination. Many, however, were disappointed at his scenarioless game mode in CoD.