Dracula (Castlevania)
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Dracula in Castlevania is based loosely off of Vlad Tepes, whose nickname became Dracula and was the basis of the vampire lord in the story of Bram Stoker. In fact, the Castlevania video game series considers the history of Vlad Tepes to be a part of the character Dracula's life, but also featuring creative differences.
Dracula did not receive much characterization in the earlier games of the Castlevania series, but in later games he is depicted as arrogant, disdainful of humanity (whom he regards as petty and greedy), and somewhat abusive towards his own minions.
Although in some games he simply sits around in Castlevania waiting for the hero to show up and kill him (such as in the case of Sonia or Trevor Belmont), he also has a penchant for kidnapping the loved ones of the current Belmont hero (usually their bride or girlfriend) with the intention of sacrificing them to gain power or vampirizing them to spite the hero. However, unlike his predecessor Walter Bernhard, he has never managed to accomplish this, with his victim always being rescued by the hero in the nick of time (the only exceptions being his brief possession of Christopher Belmont's son Soleiyu in Castlevania Adventure II, and an alternate ending of Castlevania X in which Richter Belmont's girlfriend Annette is transformed into a vampiress skull sorceress to fight him).
For more information about other uses of the name "Dracula", see Dracula
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In-game appearance
In almost all of his in-game incarnations, Dracula initially appears as a stereotypical vampire count, complete with long black cape. His most common form of attack is to teleport from one part of the screen to another, then opening his cape to fire a spread of three small fireballs at the player. In later games he can also fire larger, meteor-like fireballs. Usually, he can only be damaged by striking him in the head or neck area.
In some games (Such as Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse or Castlevania: Bloodlines), instead of the typical vampire count, Dracula appears as an evil sorcerer who attacks the player with various spells including walls of flame and lightning strikes.
After being defeated in his initial, humanoid form, Dracula usually morphs into a larger, more powerful demonic form, although the exact nature of this form varies from game to game, ranging from a standard bat-like winged demon to a dragon-caterpillar hybrid.
History
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (1094)
It was a ploy. Mathias had come up with a brillant plan. Blaming God for taking his wife away from him, he had turned to the dark side and merely used Leon to kill Walter so he could steal the vampire's Ebony Stone. After Leon defeated Walter, Mathias disappears and becomes Lord of the Night, the king of all vampires. It is assumed that he would later change his name and become Vlad Tepes, or better known as Dracula.
However, by using Leon in the fashion he had done, Dracula had cursed the Belmont bloodline to "forever hunt the night" and forever hunt him. Also destined to eternally oppose Dracula was the Belmont family's signature weapon, the "Vampire Killer", a mystic whip inhabited by the vengeful soul of the slain Sara Trantoul.
(See also: Castlevania: Lament of Innocence)
After Lament of Innocence (1094 - 1450)
Through his actions, Dracula had gained immortality. Not only would he live forever, but even if his physical body was destroyed his spirit would live on and ressurrect in physical form periodically, as long as human wickedness existed to fuel him (the general timetable for his resurrection is every 100 years, but premature resurrections are not uncommon). Not much is known about what Dracula did during the time following the events of Castlevania: Lament of Innocence. It is known that he would have a relationship with a human woman by the name of Lisa. The time frame of this union is still unknown. This woman looked exactly like his deceased wife, Elisabetha. The union would bear Dracula a son, who was named Adrian Farenheights Tepes, but would be later known as Alucard.
Lisa was later taken from her home and executed, her expertise in medicine mistaken as "witchcraft"; this heinous act enraged Dracula beyond belief. Hurt deeply, he vowed to make humanity pay once he mastered the use of the unlimited power he now had.
Akumajō Dracula (Castlevania) (1450 - 1691)
Dracula had vowed revenge against mankind for the death of Lisa. However, during his rule over Wallachia, he would meet up with many members of the Belmont Clan, whose cursed blood and enchanted whip(s) allowed them to defeat Dracula. The first known Belmont to defeat Dracula was Sonia Belmont, who may have also had the help of Alucard.
The next would be Trevor Belmont, who may also be the grandson of Dracula as he may have been the result of a union between Sonia and Alucard. Trevor was also aided by Alucard, who fought alongside him along with a pirate named Grant Danasty and a sorcerer named Sypha Belnades (who, in Samus Aran fashion, was revealed to be a woman after Dracula's defeat).
Christopher Belmont, possibly a descendant of Trevor and Sypha, would become the third Belmont to defeat Dracula. First Christopher slayed the vampire lord in one adventure, then prevented Dracula from being reborn in the body of Christopher's son Soleiyu in another adventure.
The most famous of all the Belmonts that would defeat Dracula is Simon Belmont, almost two hundred years after Sonia. Before Simon, the Belmonts were feared for their supernatural physical prowness, but he, who came in a reply of need, saved the land and made the Belmont name famous for killing Dracula and his minions once again.
Simon's Quest (1692 - 1698)
During his defeat at the hands of Simon Belmont, Dracula played a trump card and placed a curse on Simon and the land of Wallachia. This curse would kill the land and Simon if not broken in time and thus killing off the Belmont bloodline.
Simon had thought his job was done, but he would learn of this curse and once again set out with all the strength he had left. He had to collect the body parts of the deceased Dracula, which were scattered all over the land by Dracula's minions and followers. Simon was successful in collecting the body parts, reassembling them at the ruins of Castlevania to defeat Dracula once more in his resurrected form, thus lifting the curse.
(See also: Castlevania II: Simon's Quest)
Son of Dracula
Through his union with the human Lisa, Dracula had a son. His son would be born Adrian Farenheights Tepes, but would be later known as Alucard. Despite emulating his father early in his life, Alucard decided that he did not want to follow in his father's evil footsteps and battled with him many times. It is said he chose the anagram "Alucard" ("Dracula" spelled backwards) for his new name as a symbolic gesture, meaning he would go against his father's doings from that point on, like a kind of "anti-Dracula".
(See Alucard Tepes for information about Alucard of Castlevania)