The year of our Lord, 1421 A.D.

Countess Elizabeth Bartley ("The Vampire Countess"), daughter of Mircea Dracula and niece of Wallachian Prince Vlad Dracula III, was found kneeling over the dead body of an England townsperson, blood dripping from her exposed fangs. She was tried as a vampire witch, convicted, and burned at the stake. Centuries later, a Transylvanian noblewoman, Countess Elizabeth Bathory (also known as Erzsébet Báthory), who lived from 1560 to 1614, followed in Bartley’s footsteps. This woman, historically referred to as “The Blood Countess,” more than often bathed in blood, thinking that it would make her younger. She had many of her own servant girls killed simply to obtain more blood to soak in.

1431 A.D.

Vlad Dracula III, the "Son of the Dragon," is born to Prince Vlad "The Dragon/The Devil" Dracul II of Wallachia and Princess Cneajna of Transylvania in the Transylvanian town of Schassburg/Sighisoara. In the decades to come he became the warlord prince/voivode of Wallachia in 1448, from 1456-1462, and finally in 1476. A member of the Order of the Dragon, he was sworn against the Ottoman Turks, with whom he had been forced to live with his brother Radu for some twelve years as children as part of the terms for the sparing of his father's life by the sultan. Eventually Vlad Dracula claimed his birthright as prince of Wallachia for reigns that have immortalized him as a Romanian hero, but it was through his cruel means by which he earned the name Tepes; "The Impaler," for which would historically nickname him "Vlad the Impaler." Vlad Dracula was said to have been responsible for the deaths of over 100,000, both criminals and his sworn Turkish enemies alike.

NOTE: See the "In Search of Dracula" section for details on Prince Vlad "The Impaler" Dracula III and more scans from the Topps' "Dracula: Vlad the Impaler" comic here.

1476 A.D.

Prince Vlad Dracula III falls on the battlefield during December in the defense of his homeland of Wallachia, decapitated in a marsh near Snagov by a Turkish assassin disguised as one of his own men. Vlad’s head was allegedly taken back to Constantinople to be displayed before his Turkish enemies and his headless remains were later buried near a monastery in Snagov. The hated and feared Vlad the Impaler was thought laid to rest for eternity.

When excavation digs turn up empty, the question becomes raised: what happened to the body?

Rising from the grave some time later in a rebirth that begins his centennial resurrections (i.e., automatic, naturally occuring revivals not caused by outside sources), Prince Dracula, now strigoi; nosferatu; an Undead vampyre, begins working toward his new dark agenda. Looking back into the ways of alchemy he had once studied as a mortal man, he turns his attention to the ways of evil in a crusade against humanity itself.

1482 A.D.

The third child of Prince Dracula III, the son of Ilona Elisabeth ("Lisa") Szilágy and only child of Dracula for which history records no known name, who had lived much of his young life with the Bishop of Ordea, dies of an unspecified mortal ailment.

Little does history know, it would seem, that this third child's name was Adrian Fahrenheights Tepes (for whatever reason, he was given the surname of Tepes/"The Impaler").

At some point, either as a result of his "unspecified mortal ailment" that led to his death this year or some enchantment performed on his corpse, Adrian became vampirised. He took on the name "Alucard" ("Dracula" spelled backwards) perhaps to be eccentric or otherwise in shame of his current state of being. Alucard sought out his father, or his father sought out him, and he became one of Dracula's chief generals/guardians in the army of darkness he was forming to instate an all-new rule over not only Wallachia anymore (as he did during his life), but Transylvania, Romania, and ultimately all of Europe.

From the beginning, Alucard had his reservations about what his father was doing. At this point, he would do well to keep them to himself.

1482 A.D. - CASTLEVANIA LEGENDS ( GB )

From Castle Dracula, now known and feared as "The Demon Castle Dracula"/"CastleVania," the Undead Count Vlad Dracula, "prince" no longer and freshly vampirised, raises a hellish army of undead he has assault and ravage Transylvanian Romania. Dracula used his newfound supernatural powers and the magic powers of his followers to spread his plague of darkness and despair throught the European continent.

It would seem that at the nearly same time the Prince of Wallachia transcended death to become the Prince of Darkness, a baby girl possessing special powers was born to a family living in a remote area of the country. "Your powers are meant for a higher purpose and not only for yourself," she was often reminded as she was growing up. Taught how to handle a whip by her grandfather and having learned at an early age of her ability to sense the presense of beings physical and spiritual that cannot be seen by ordinary humans, she was ready. The plot of this girl's fate began to develop one night in her seventeenth year when she met up with the young enigmatic Alucard, who was on a journey to search for the father that deserted him. Fearlessly and selflessly, this young woman - her name Sonia Belmont - makes her journey within the gates of the Demon Castle, encountering and defeating not only Count Dracula, but his forgotten son, Adrian "Alucard" Fahrenheights Tepes, though that encounter was only a test... but yet so much more. Later that year after the birth of her son, Trevor, the townspeople of her village of Warakiya begin to fear the Belmont Clan’s powers, as the child bears supernatural powers from its half-vampiric father, Alucard.

It would seem, however, that Sonia did not truly vanquish the Count. Though beaten, Dracula went into hiding, licking his wounds and biding his time. Having been tested against Sonia Belmont, he knew now the limits of both his powers and new Undead body.

NOTE : While the Japanese timeline claims 1450, Legends must occur in late 1482 because: 1) Historically the third child of the real-life Prince Vlad Dracula III (for whom history records no name), born to Prince Dracula and Ilona Szilágy, died this year of an unknown ailment while living with the Bishop of Oradea. Applying CastleVania to this bit of history, it could be said this third child was Alucard. 2) Assuming all the hints throughout the game are true regarding a romantic relationship between Sonia Belmont and Alucard, her child seen at the end of the game has to be Trevor, as that would explain the origin of the Belmont family's seemingly superhuman powers and abilities (plus, since she assumedly never married Alucard or took his last name, it would explain why Trevor took his mother's surname and not his father's). Trevor was mentioned as having been driven out of Warakiya in the opening to CastleVania III because of these powers, which, ironically enough, link the Belmonts beyond Sonia by blood to Dracula himself. As CastleVania III takes place in 1499, Trevor would only be 17, assuming he was born the same year (late 1482). Any higher than 1482 and Trevor's age would get somewhat far-fetched... though as it is said above, his maturity could have been accelerated as a result of his 1/4 vampiric blood from Alucard. See the note on the CastleVania III entry below.

1499 A.D. - CASTLEVANIA III : DRACULA’S CURSE ( NES )

Dracula comes out of hiding, recuperated from his battle with Sonia Belmont and ready to continue his reign of darkness. Chaos is wrought over Transylvania and all of Europe again in the form of Dracula’s reforged army of undead.

Even after being banished from his village of Warakiya for fear of his unnatural powers by the villagers (these "powers" stemming from his heritage with Alucard), Trevor C. Belmont of the mighty Belmont Clan, son of Sonia, accepts the challenge of stopping Dracula’s sorcery even at the young age of 17 (perhaps his 1/4 vampire heritage from Alucard slightly accelerated his maturity). Teaming with Grant DaNasty (a ghostly pirate cursed by Dracula), Sypha Belnades (a Mystic Warlord, also of Warakiya, thought long dead), and Alucard (the "forgotten son of Dracula" who at last musters up the courage to oppose his father), Trevor accomplishes this by storming Dracula’s Demon Castle and slaying the vampire.   NOTE : While the Japanese timeline says 1476 (which would work if this was CastleVania Legends and Alucard wasn't in it), it must be at least ten years or so after Legends, which I explained in the note for Legends must occur in 1482, as Trevor has to grow up while it still has to be the 15th century. Plus, by saying that Dracula didn't really resurrect in CV3, and saying that Dracula wasn't really slain in Legends, it doesn't screw up the cenenntial resurrections and still enables it to work in the proper sequence according to the Japanese timeline : 1476 - prior to Legends; 1576 - Adventure (i.e., while Sonia confronted Dracula in 1482, it was Trevor in 1499 that vanquished him properly. It is more than likely the actual events of CastleVania III happen in 1498 or 1499, as Trevor would only be 17 at 1499 if he was born in late 1482 by Sonia even though his bloodline w/Alucard could make this maturity plausible. By this more logical reckoning, though Dracula likely came out of hiding in 1499 and began sending his undead legions across the land, he wasn't actually opposed by Trevor, Grant, Sypha, and Alucard for some time. This would be reasonably consistent with the prologue to CastleVania III.

1576 A.D. - THE CASTLEVANIA ADVENTURE ( GB )

The time of his first centennial resurrection at hand after the original in 1476, Dracula rises to combat the latest generation of vampire hunter from the Belmont Clan. The great-grandson of Trevor, a tempered young man by the name of Christopher Belmont, meets the challenge put before him, traveling to Dracula’s castle and fighting the vampire. Though CastleVania does crumble, Dracula, however, turns to mist before his opponent can land the killing blow. The Count then escapes the ruins of his Demon Castle as a bat.

1591 A.D. - CASTLEVANIA II : BELMONT’S REVENGE ( GB )

Fifteen years after Christopher’s fateful battle with Dracula, Soleiyu Belmont, Christopher’s son, is possessed by the evil of Dracula’s influence on the day that would mark his coming of age, warping him to serve the Count’s purposes. Hunting the Count to the four castles that mysteriously rise from the earth, then to the resurrected CastleVania itself, Christopher successfully slays Dracula in their rematch and saves Soleiyu.

1691 A.D. - VAMPIRE KILLER ( MSX2 HOME COMPUTER ) *

One hundred years after Christopher thought he had put an end to Dracula, the vampire musters up enough energy to rise from the grave with his Demon Castle for his second centennial resurrection. Again throwing a veil of darkness over Transylvania, the great-grandson of Christopher, Simon Belmont, takes it upon himself to fearlessly enter Dracula’s castle and slay him after his love, Linda Entwhistle, is captured by the vengeful King of Vampires.

1691 A.D. - CASTLEVANIA ( NES )

With CastleVania still standing, the European countryside of Romania still in turmoil, and Linda Entwhistle still missing, Simon Belmont makes a second trip beyond the gates of Dracula’s Demon Castle. He fights his way back to the Count, slays him, then escapes to watch CastleVania crumble into the ground. Linda Entwhistle remains missing.

1692 A.D. - CASTLEVANIA II : SIMON’S QUEST ( NES )

When it seems Simon did not complete his task in destroying Dracula (he didn’t burn or otherwise destroy the body), he finds himself under his curse. Under the strain of time, Simon tracks down the vampire’s scattered body parts, then burns them before having a second rematch with Dracula in the broken remnants of his castle. He then at last rescues his bride-to-be, Linda Entwhistle.

1692 A.D. - SUPER CASTLEVANIA IV ( SNES )

Simon Belmont must embark on an adventure similar to his first when a group of the surviving servants of Dracula resurrect their fallen master from the grave. Again entering the Count’s castle, Simon finds and defeats Dracula in their fourth and final confrontation.

NOTE: Super CastleVania IV was released in Japan as a remake of the original CastleVania (or in Japan’s case, Demon Castle Dracula), in both storyline and levels. When this game made it to the U.S., however, Konami of America added an IV to the title, edited the documentation text, and altered the text of the opening prologue—all this to make the game into a sequel and continuation of CastleVania II: Simon’s Quest (CastleVania III: Dracula’s Curse was a prequel), not simply a remake. "Once again Simon Belmont is called upon to destroy Dracula," the prologue states. In other words: for the CastleVania (U.S./Europe) series, Super CastleVania IV = sequel to CastleVania II; for the Demon Castle Dracula (Japanese) series, Super CastleVania IV = remake of original CastleVania/Demon Castle Dracula.