"This is the tale of a young girl's struggle to
single-handedly provide Transylvania, a place
ruled by madness and despair, with the light of hope."
- Castlevania Legends
introductory text
The heroine of Konami's 1997/1998 Castlevania: Legends [Japanese title: Akumajo Dracula: Shikkoku Taru Zensoukyoku (Demon Castle Dracula: Dark Night Prelude)] Super Gameboy video game. Born in Transylvania at a time when the undead Count Dracula terrorized the land, Sonia Belmont grew up in an era of fear and uncertainty. The girl had been blessed at birth with innate magical abilities, not the least of which was the power to see things, both material and immaterial, that normal humans could not. Her grandfather, perhaps sensing Sonia's fate, trained her in the use of the family's traditional weapon of choice, the whip. At the age of seventeen she became acquainted with Alucard, Dracula's half-human son, who was on a journey to confront his father. Whether by chance, or design, consorting with Alucard awakened in Sonia a sense of purpose that had long been simmering on the edge of her consciousness: She would journey to Dracula's Castle and, utilizing all of the skills at her command, attempt to free the land and people from his evil grasp, even at the cost of her own life.
In addition to powering her whip up (Leather » Chain » Flame) through the collection of orbs hidden inside the candles scattered across the landscape, Sonia can also employ several types of magic. Arguably her most useful power, "Burning Mode" (press up + A + B simultaneously) makes her completely invulnerable to all enemy attacks, and boosts her overall performance, for a limited amount of time. Burning Mode can only be used once per life and Sonia begins the game with it. After defeating the bosses of stages 1-4, as well as the boss of the secret bonus stage, Sonia will be rewarded with an additional "Soul Weapon" for the slaying of each:
- WIND: Acquired from the Creature Bat in Stage 1 (Outside The Castle). This item, symbolized by a tornado, temporarily stops time, much like the familiar pocket watch sub-weapon. Each use consumes 5 hearts.
- ICE: Acquired from the Death Dragon in Stage 2 (Inside The Castle). This item, symbolized by bubbles, completely heals Sonia back to full health, which will probably save your bacon on many occasions, provided you can pay the hefty twenty hearts required.
- FLAME: Acquired from Death in Stage 3 (Clock Tower). This item, symbolized by a burning fire, causes a flashing attack that harms all enemies on the screen. Weaker creatures will be destroyed outright, while stronger ones will take a small amount of damage. It doesn't work on sub-bosses or bosses. Each use consumes five hearts.
- SAINT: Acquired from Alucard in Stage 4 (Top Floor of The Castle). This item, symbolized by a shining sphere, allows Sonia to fire boomerang-shaped projectiles across the screen at her foes, each of which does the same amount of damage as a strike from the chain/flame whip. Each shot consumes a single heart.
- MAGIC: Acquired from the Executioner in the secret bonus stage (Castle Dungeon). This item, symbolized by a bat, destroys all of the lesser enemies (even the stronger varieties), and any of their projectiles, currently on the screen. It doesn't work on sub-bosses or bosses. Each use will decrease your heart total by five.
While Sonia lacks the capacity to utilize any of the traditional Castlevania sub-weapons, she can still collect them, which affects how much of the ending you'll see upon completion of the game--find the well-hidden axe, holy water, pocket watch, dagger, and cross to get the best outcome. Story-wise, this is meant to explain how the Belmont family came into possession of their trademark arsenal.
Materials:
Newsprint, tissue paper, white glue, super glue, nail polish, plastic, a wire twist tie, and acrylic paint.
Dimensions:
2.4 cm/0.9 in. x 3.7 cm/1.5 in. (widest point* x highest point)
* 7.2 cm/2.8 in. wide including the whip's length.
Time:
Part of the day on June 13, 2010.
For comparison/informational purposes, below are several images of Sonia Belmont from the Castlevania: Legends Super Gameboy video game (more information on mouse-over):
REFERENCES:
(In no particular order of importance.)
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The background image is one of Konami's illustrations of Sonia Belmont.
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