The Castlevania series offers no shortage of powerful heroes. While many of them are trained vampire hunters, among the rarest examples of protagonists include werewolves, vampires, or something even darker.
Some of the protagonists were accompanied by powerful fighters or magic users such as Maria, Carrie, and Charlotte. However, the focus on the main protagonists will include wielders of the Vampire Killer, the first choice playable character in games that feature multiple options.
16 Sonia Belmont
Prior to Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, the protagonist of Castlevania Legends was the first Belmont to fight Dracula. Sonia's story involved a romance with Alucard who would go on to father the Belmont line. However, Sonia's narrative was ultimately retconned by series producer, Koji Igarashi (IGA).
15 Christopher Belmont
Much like Sonia, Christopher got his start on the Game Boy, appearing in Castlevania: The Adventure and Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge. The second title would feature him rescuing his kidnapped son, Soleil, from Dracula. Unfortunately, Christopher's titles were less-than-stellar entries, although Adventure received a full reimagining on the Wii's Wiiware as Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth.
14 Cornell
Blue Crescent Moon, the werewolf from Legacy of Darkness, wanted to save his adopted sister, Ada, from a horrible fate in Dracula's Castle. While the N64 titles had their good and bad notes, Cornell offered something a little different to the table.
Furthermore, Cornell was one of the better designed and more fun characters to play as in Castlevania Judgment. His ability to transform into a werewolf gave him inhuman power and agility.
13 Juste Belmont
This Belmont from the 1700s sought Dracula's Castle to save a loved one. Juste also had to fight off his close friend, Maxim Kischine, who fell into Dracula's lulls. Juste's adventure in Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance gave him some interesting powers such as the ability to combine sub-weapons with magical tomes for new item crashes. Furthermore, his design eerily echoed Alucard's.
12 Nathan Graves
While not a Belmont nor an inheritor to the Vampire Killer, Castlevania: Circle of the Moon's Nathan was a vampire hunter in his own right. Much like Juste, however, Nathan had to battle Hugh who had been convinced by Dracula to kill him. Nathan's special ability came from the DSS cards which included stat-boosts, magic spells, summoning, and more.
11 John Morris
The inheritor to the Vampire Killer in an era without the Belmonts, Castlevania: Bloodlines' John Morris took up the mantle to defeat Dracula. Along with his friend, Eric Lecarde, the two traveled across Europe and fought the Count's minions.
Without being able to stand the toll on his body, however, John succumbed to the Vampire Killer's power and left a son behind.
10 Reinhardt Schneider
Much like Cornell, Reinhardt originates from Castlevania 64. Originally named "Schneider Belmont," this member of the clan fights with both the whip and even a sword. He's the only Belmont who has a sword sub-weapon that can fight off enemies at close-range. Reinhardt was aided by young Carrie Fernandez, a gifted mage who wields chakrams as well as powerful magic.
9 Hector
The protagonist of Curse of Darkness, this Devil Forgemaster fled from Dracula's Castle once he could no longer see eye-to-eye with his benefactor. However, his wife was killed by his former friend and fellow forgemaster, Isaac, in a plot to eventually revive the count. Much like Alucard and Soma, Hector was skilled with various blades, polearms, and could summon his familiars to fight for him. Hector also appears as a major character in the Netflix series.
8 Jonathan Morris
Son of John Morris, the protagonist of Portrait of Ruin enters Dracula's Castle accompanied by his childhood friend, Charlotte Aulin. Jonathan wants answers about his father's death and is much more hot-blooded than any other protagonist in the series.
Jonathan's rockstar hairstyle, cocky attitude, and trademark red coat may have been inspired by Devil May Cry's protagonist, Dante.
7 Simon Belmont
Simon was the series' first protagonist in the original Castlevania for the NES. He also appeared in the sequel, Simon's Quest, and the arcade title, Haunted Castle, as the first Belmont to save his wife from Dracula. Simon has undergone numerous redesigns throughout the years, with Super Castlevania IV, Chronicles, and the more recent Grimoire of Souls being the main examples. The latter also served as his primary inspiration for his design in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
6 Trevor Belmont
Predating Simon, and the rest of the clan, Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse's Trevor was the first Belmont to battle Dracula. Accompanied by Sypha Belnades, Grant Danasti, and Dracula's son, Alucard, Trevor received a scar from his fight against the Count. Trevor received a redesign in Curse of Darkness for PS2, which also partly inspired his overall design in the popular Castlevania Netflix anime series.
5 Leon Belmont
The patriarch of the Belmont family and progenitor to their vampire-hunting legacy, Leon was the first to enter a vampire's castle to save his loved one, albeit in vain. His story told the origins of the Vampire Killer and the rivalry with the human who would later become Count Dracula.
In battle, Leon could use combos as well as equip powerful relics to augment his strengths. Leon appeared briefly as a cameo in Portrait of Ruin as part of Greatest Five.
4 Shanoa
This badass from Order of Ecclesia lost her memories due to an accident. Sent to retrieve her friend, Albus, Shanoa's mission would eventually reveal the purpose of Ecclesia: to revive Dracula. Shanoa would stand against her master and even Dracula to save a world without the Belmont clan. Her ability to use glyphs allowed her to wield powerful combinations of weapons and magic.
3 Richter Belmont
Another badass in the series, Richter Belmont debuted in Rondo of Blood to save his kidnapped fiancee, Annette. Joined by Annette's sister, the animal-summoning Maria, the two entered Dracula's Castle to save all of his victims and bring peace to the world.
Richter's adventure, with his dialogue against Dracula, began the long, twisted tale of rhetoric and human fallacy within the series. Richter would later be abducted in Symphony of the Night before being rescued by Alucard. He also appears, alongside Simon, as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
2 Alucard
The half-vampire son of Dracula witnessed his mother burned at the stake by witch-hunters at a young age. Debuting in Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, Alucard turned against his father when he could no longer stand by and watch his father commit atrocities. Originally armed with the ability to shoot fireballs and become a bat, Symphony of the Night would give Alucard his trademark sword abilities.
Alucard would later appear in Aria of Sorrow as an agent, Genya Arikado, in an attempt to stop the return of Dracula from within a small circle of vampire hunters. Furthermore, he appeared as an assist trophy in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
1 Soma Cruz
This unassuming young man entered Dracula's Castle by pure happenstance, yet fate would say otherwise. Armed with the Power of Dominance, Soma could reap the souls of fallen creatures and use their power or summon them to his side. Wearing his trademark white coat, Soma's fashion sense made him one of the most popular characters in the series.
Perhaps the single most shocking thing about Soma is fighting him in Dawn of Sorrow's Julius Mode. This stems from the shocking revelation in Aria of Sorrow that Soma is Dracula's reincarnation.