Release Order Recommended
0 / 15 playedEssential games as they released. Recommended for a first play.
Lords of Shadow
Chronological Order
0 / 12 playedSame games by Belmont clan year. Better as a replay.
About Castlevania
Castlevania's release history runs from the 1986 Simon Belmont original through Lords of Shadow 2 in 2014, with a new Belmont's Curse listed for 2026. The essentials: Simon's Quest in 1987, Dracula's Curse in 1989 as Trevor's prequel, Super Castlevania IV in 1991, Rondo of Blood in 1993, Symphony of the Night in 1997 with Alucard, then Lament of Innocence as the 1094 origin. Aria of Sorrow jumps to Soma in 2035 with Dawn of Sorrow closing him.
Portrait of Ruin and Order of Ecclesia fill the middle centuries, while Lords of Shadow reboots Gabriel Belmont separately through to Lords of Shadow 2. Chronological order pulls Lament and Dracula's Curse to the front and pushes Soma to the end. The Netflix anime is its own continuity and stays out of the games path.
Good to know
Release order is recommended because the timeline was built backwards. Lament of Innocence works better once the Belmont-Dracula cycle is familiar, and Symphony lands harder after Rondo sets up Richter. Chronological order suits a replay, with the Lords of Shadow trilogy kept apart as its own reboot run. Handheld spinoffs like Circle of the Moon sit outside either list and can slot by their centuries if completism calls.
