Being a family of vampire hunters would be strange enough for most. The Belmont Clan of Castlevania fame take it another step further though. Over thirty years worth of games, this family of monster slayers has picked up a lot of weird traits and lore that turn them from more than just dudes and ladies really good at putting stakes through hearts. Their in-game history stretches back to the Middle Ages and a lot of what we gamers know about the Belmonts has gotten twisted over multiple Castlevania games.

These are The 10 Weirdest Things About The Belmont Family

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10 Twisted Family Tree

via Pinterest

Pinning down the exact history of the Belmont Family can be difficult. Over the course of the Castlevania series, three different timelines have emerged charting the clan's feud with Dracula. The 1997 game Castlevania Legends established that the Belmonts began hunting vampires in the 1400s with Sonia Belmont. But this was later deemed non-canon and the 2003 title Lament of Innocence says it began in the 11th century with founder Leon Belmont. That's still the "official" timeline and Sonia's existence as Castlevania 3 protagonist Trevor Belmont's mother is uncertain.

9 Born To The Hunt

The Castlevania series has hinted over the years that the Belmonts are more than mere humans. Indeed, they may have been born to be vampire hunters. The earliest member we've seen, Leon Belmont, could sense vampirism in others and the clan as a whole seem driven by instinct to fight the forces of darkness. Their blood also interacts with the magic of Dracula's Castle, opening portals and dispelling barriers. Whatever this power of the Belmonts is has never been defined, but it did cause the people of Transylvania to drive them out.

8 Ancestral Weapon

via Gamepur

The whip called Vampire Killer is the Belmont Family's signature weapon. It has been wielded by a member of their clan since its founder, Leon. But Vampire Killer is no ordinary whip. It is a magical weapon whose true power only a Belmont can unlock. In their hands, it strikes down not just vampires, but demons of any kind. They have slain Dracula with the weapon numerous times. This restriction likely comes from the whip's origin. Leon Belmont's beloved sacrificed her life to imbue her soul's purity into Vampire Killer.

7 Not From Transylvania

via syfy.com

Not much is known about the Belmont Family's history before 1094. That was the year Leon Belmont travelled to Transylvania and began hunting vampires. But where did the family originate? The Netflix animated series provides an answer. The Belmonts were not originally from Transylvania. They were knights from France who took their crusade against the forces of darkness east. This is mostly to explain why they don't have Slavic-sounding names. And while the Netflix series isn't exactly canon, it also doesn't conflict with anything previously established.

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6 A Long Disappearance

Despite their vow to always guard against Dracula, the Belmonts went missing in recent history. After Richter Belmont defeated the Lord of Vampires in 1792, the family disappeared for almost two hundred years. In the meantime, it was left to others like the Order of Ecclesia and the Morris clan to keep Dracula from resurrecting permanently. The seemingly last survivor of the family, Julius Belmont, did emerge in 1999 to sunder Dracula's soul for good. It's yet to be seen if another Belmont will join the family business.

5 Their American Cousins

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The Belmonts are not the only clan of vampire hunters in Castlevania. An off-branch of the family, the Morris Clan, resides in America and does their fair share of staking as well. How exactly the Morrises and the Belmonts are related is unclear. A descendant of Trevor Belmont married into the Morris clan at some point, siring Quincy Morris. The two clans are on very good terms, with the Belmonts entrusting Vampire Killer to the Morrises during their 200 year disappearance.

4 The Family Founder: Dracula?

via: videogamer.com

Dracula has always been the Belmonts' greatest foe, but the Lords of Shadow series made that enmity even more personal. In that alternate timeline, Dracula actually began life as a Belmont. In fact, he was the family founder Gabriel Belmont. Gabriel started out as knight sworn to defeat the forces of darkness. But in battling against Satan, he lost everything he cared for and gave into demonic power, becoming the vampire lord Dracula. Gabriel's descendants vowed to end him to avenge their family name.

3 They've Hated Dracula Since Before He Was Dracula

The roots of the Belmonts' enmity with Dracula goes all the way back to the clan's founder Leon Belmont. Before he became Lord of the Vampires, Dracula was Matthias Cronqvist, Leon's friend and a fellow knight. The two joined forces to rescue Leon's beloved from another vampire, but Matthias tricked Leon. He'd used his friend to learn the secrets of vampirism to become immortal and take revenge on God for ending his wife's life. Leon, betrayed and left for dead, vowed to hunt the night and destroy Matthias, now Dracula.

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2 End Of The Bloodline

via zerochan

For all their storied history, the Belmonts have never seemed to earn much respect. It might explain why the family has nearly gone extinct a few times. The first time was in the early 1400s, when the people of Transylvania drove the Belmonts out in fear of their power. When Dracula returned, only one member of the clan seemed to survive, Trevor Belmont. The family recovered slightly after that, though Dracula did his best to eliminate them. But come 1999, there is yet again only a single Belmont, Julius.

1 Hunting The Night

Though he has long been their focus, Dracula is not the reason the Belmonts vowed to "Hunt the night" as Leon declared. Their work slaying vampires actually began with the bloodsucker Walter Bernhard. Bernhard kidnapped Leon's betrothed Sara, mostly just to amuse himself. Leon relinquished all his titles and lands to rescue his wife. Though he slew Bernhard, he failed to save Sara. Seeing the misery vampires inflict, and his best friend betraying him to become one, drove Leon to battle them evermore.

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