Maria Renard
From Castlevania Wiki - Forbidden Library
| Maria Renard | |
|---|---|
| |
| Japanese name | Maria Learned |
| Appearance(s) | 1792:Castlevania: Rondo of Blood
Retelling:Castlevania: Dracula X |
| Role(s) | Vampire Hunter, Summoner |
| Weapon of Choice | Doves, Guardian Beasts |
| Abilities | Summon Magic |
| Voice Actor(s) | |
| Seiyuu(s) | |
| Music Theme(s) | Meet Maria |
| Gender | Female |
Maria Renard is a girl of aristocratic blood with strong magical potential and one of the maidens Richter Belmont has to rescue during the events of Castlevania: Rondo of Blood. She is able to summon four guardian spirits: Genbu, Byakko, Suzaku and Seiryuu. Maria has a honest personality, and she is a tough fighter.
Contents |
Story
Before Castlevania
Maria was born to aristocratic parents that had a distant kinship with the Belmont Clan. Maria, not aware of her heritage, was gifted with great magical abilities and her potential would be untapped until she was twelve years old.
Events of Rondo of Blood
After Dracula was resurrected, he ordered an assault on the village where Maria lived. During the raid, her parents were killed and she was taken hostage along with a woman named Annette. Annette and Maria formed a bond and Annette would encourage Maria with stories about her fiancé Richter.
Sensing her slumbering magical potential, Shaft locked Maria away in the main halls of Dracula's Castle, where he could do anything to her as he pleased. He cast a spell on her to bring her powers forward so it could be used to serve his master. While Shaft was experimenting on Maria, Richter entered the room and attacked, but the Priest escaped, vanishing into thin air. After introducing themselves to each other, Richter demanded that Maria go home to her parents. Maria said she was already with her parents, who were watching over her from Heaven. When her temper flared, due to Richter not allowing her to accompany him, Maria summoned Seiryuu the dragon for the first time.
Surprised and convinced of Maria's strange but powerful magic, Richter allowed her along. Richter and Maria were able to save all the abducted maidens and together they were successful in bringing down Dracula and his demonic army.
Events of Judgment
Note: The following events are from Castlevania Judgment and its canonical merits are uncertain.
Maria was adopted into the Belmont family and looked up to Richter as an older brother. Although living peacefully with her new family, Maria struggled with a personal problem. Growing up around women who were already fully matured made her feel unsatisfied with her own lack of development. One night, Maria sensed a great unease among her animal friends and she ventured into a dark forest while seeking answers. Unknowingly to her, she had entered a rift in time where she was greeted by a time traveler who introduced himself as Aeon.
Maria faced many opponents she never heard of, one of them was Shanoa, who was surprised to find the likes of her in such a dangerous place. The Glyph Master asked if she was lost, but Maria was greatly offended because Shanoa referred to her as little. She challenged Shanoa to a duel which ended in a victory for Maria.
Eventually, Maria faced a woman named Sypha Belnades, who's breasts greatly outclassed hers, which left the little girl stunned. The sorceress asked her to stop staring at them, as they only got in her way. Maria asked in disbelief how Sypha could ever say such a thing, because she had received a sacred gift. She attacked without warning and was able to overpower Sypha and and continue on her journey.
The girl's final opponent was the vampire countess Carmilla, who too, had received two sacred gifts, to the great annoyance and jealousy of Maria. She angrily declared that there was no way that she would lose to the vampire and the two engaged in battle. Maria came out victorious and successfully completed her trial.
Aeon gained another soul key and came a step closer to his goal, while Maria returned to her own time period, where time eventually gave her what she desired. However, she soon found that her faith in appearances would fade like a dream.
Events of Symphony of the Night
Four years passed since Dracula was sealed away by Richter and Maria, and one night, Richter went missing without a trace. He and Maria had formed a strong bond over the years and she vowed to find him no matter what the cost. After months of searching, she stumbled on Dracula's Castle after it suddenly materialized out of the fog.
While exploring the castle she noticed that it looked different from how she remembered it. In the Marble Gallery, she noticed a white haired man. He didn't pay attention to her until she called for him to wait. She was confused by him and his presence because seemed human but at the same time, something was different about him. She asked him who he was and what he was doing here. The stranger introduced himself as Alucard and told her he came to destroy the castle. Alucard said he wasn't going to tell her more, but stated that their goals were the same, so she could trust him. Before parting she said they would meet again if he managed to live long enough.
Maria had another encounter with Alucard and during their conversation she teased him about his cold attitude. Something troubled her and she mentioned that she was in the Castle before, but it was different then she remembered. Alucard explained to her that the castle is able to take many different incarnations. After they went separate ways they met again the Royal Chapel where Alucard was fighting an aggressive monster while she watched. Maria complimented Alucard on his strength but he urged her her to get to the point. She asked him if the name Richter Belmont was known to him. Alucard was familliar with the Belmont familly since he teamed up with the legendary Trevor Belmont 300 years prior. Maria told him that Richter went missing one year ago and that she knew he was in the castle somewhere. Alucard assured her that he will let her know if he encountered Richter and Maria thanked him before setting off again.
Maria was waiting for Alucard in one of the towers of the Chapel, but with him came bad news. He reported that Richter was the new lord of Dracula's Castle. Maria, shocked by this revelation, refused to believe it and ran off in a worried fuss.
In the very center of Dracula's Castle, Maria was once again waiting for Alucard while she hid in the shadows. When Alucard arrived in the room, she called out his name and apologized. She knew for certain that Richter had joined the enemy but she knew more than most people and suggested that something or someone must be controlling him. She insisted that no harm should befall him but the only thing that mattered to Alucard was that Belmont had to be stopped. Maria knew this and she handed him an odd item known as the Holy Glasses. She explained that it allowed the user to see past evil illusions. Alucard told her to pray for the soul of Richter and went on this way to the Throne Room.
While fighting Richter, Alucard saw a small green orb floating around him. Wasting no time, he attacked the green sphere, freeing Richter from the possession of Shaft, who had returned from the dead. Maria quickly entered the room and urged Alucard not to hurt the vampire hunter. Shaft warned that Dracula's resurrection was at hand and there was nothing they could do to prevent it. While standing in the Castle Keep, Maria, Richter and Alucard watched while another castle appeared from the clouds. Maria took Richter out of the castle after being told to do so by Alucard. Before she left, Alucard said that he would finish Shaft and stop the resurrection of his father. Maria agreed, and went on her way.
Once Alucard vanquished Dracula and destroyed both his castles, Maria and Richter reunited with him on among the ruins of the castle. They both wondered what Alucard would do now that he was awoken from his slumber. Alucard told them the blood that was pouring through his veins was cursed. It was for the better if he disappeared from the world for all eternity, and after telling this he departed. Richter sensed Maria's feelings and told her to go after him. They said their goodbyes and Maria went after Alucard because she simply could not let him vanish from her life.
Events of Nocturne of Reminiscence
Maria had convinced Alucard to stay with her and they lived together, but she still struggled with Alucard's quiet behaviour and had the feeling of being left out. One year later, she entered Alucard's room one morning and awoke him from his dreams. The dhampir looked troubled and she asked what was the matter, but he wouldn't open up to her, which frustrated Maria. She pleaded with Alucard to talk to her about what was troubling him. Alucard only dryly commented that if she wanted to talk to someone, she could converse with one of his familiars, the Imp. After a heated argument, in which both Alucard and the Imp insulted Maria's cooking, she angrily left the house.
She headed to the village where she planned to buy groceries in order to make a delicious dinner and show Alucard and his familiar that her cooking wasn't as bad as they claimed it was. There, she received a letter from Richter, which informed her about the murders of several young maidens from the village and that they mostly likely had fallen victim to a vampire. He assured her that he didn't suspect that Alucard was the culprit, but that she should be careful nonetheless and must contact him if strange things began happening. While walking away from the market place, Maria was suddenly approached by two vampire hunters named Silyl and Alexis. They told her that it wasn't safe around there and that she must go home immediately.
After the two vampire hunter were gone, Maria encountered another individual on her way home, an Incubus named Magnus. He provoked her and said that Alucard had given in to his vampiric urges and that he was the one committing the murders. Maria attacked Magnus in an act of rage and said she didn't believe him, although the things he was saying troubled her. With Maria in disbelief, he continued to say that somewhere in her heart, she was afraid of Alucard, and then showed her what Maria believed to be a vision of Alucard drinking the blood of a helpless victim. Despite that, Maria intended to fight Magnus, but he told her that he only came to tell her discover the truth and not to battle her. He then left while saying they would meet again
Back at her house, Maria told Alucard about Magnus and what happened, when suddenly his familiar accidentally blurted something about them defeating Magnus 350 years ago. The Imp then apologised after realising that, but it didn't bother Alucard, as it was better for Maria to know the truth anyway. He asked her if she really wanted to know what happened 350 years ago, but after remembering what Magnus had told her, she declined and then bid the two goodnight.
The next morning, Maria came down the stairs and noticed that Alucard and his familiar were about to leave. She asked them what they were up to. Alucard told her that he was going to find Magnus and that she should stay behind. Maria got upset and told him that she was a vampire hunter, and that he should realise that she was no mere woman. She then confronted him about him wanting human blood in the past. Alucard then told that what Magnus said was true, that long ago he had given in to his thirst for blood. Maria then ran out of the room and regretted ever asking him about his past.
Eventually, Maria left the house and went in search of Richter because she wanted to help him with his investigation. She then encountered Silyl and Alexis again, who were upset to find her there, since she did not go home as they told her to. Maria then revealed that she was a vampire hunter of the Belmont Clan, but the two men blew it off as absurd. Alexis then declared that the era of fighting vampires with whips and swords had come to an end and that their 'medicine' was the perfect weapon. Maria sensed an evil power radiating from the potion and asked them to hand it over. When they refused, she tried to grab it but accidentally got in contact with the substance while doing so. The liquid immediately effected her and she fell to the ground while undergoing tremendous pain. Suddenly, Richter came rushing towards her and quickly carried her to her home.
After resting in her bed room, she came out and found Richter and Alucard discussing what happened and she told them that she was alright, but could no longer hear the voices of Genbu, Byakko, Suzaku and Seiryuu, meaning that she was completely stripped of her powers. Alucard's familiar, the Imp, entered and informed that vampires had appeared, and the two man rushed off and left her alone again.
After recovering enough, Maria went to find her friends. She eventually found them facing off against Magnus and another vampire was battling Silyl. The other vampire was Lyudmil, a figure from Alucard's past who despised humans because of what they did to Lisa, and had chosen to become a vampire as a result. It was he who had been attacking the townsfolk. Magnus' plan was to lure Alucard to his father's side again by playing on his emotions. Magnus had Alucard come in contact with a former friend who also knew his mother. Magnus was planning on resurrecting Dracula's castle and making Alucard its new Lord.
When Maria noticed that Richter was almost overpowered by a flock of bats summoned by Lyudmil, she quickly engaged in the fight. While being attacked by Magnus, she regained her powers which resulted in a blast of light, and due to this, Lyudmil snapped out of what was seemingly hypnosis from Magnus. At the last moment, Alexis came rushing to the scene of battle and shouted at Richter to smash Magnus' claws, because those were the source of his powers. Richter did so, and Alucard was able to vanquish Magnus, but a gravely injured Lyudmil died in the process. Nonetheless, prosperity would be secured for the time being.
Other Appearances
Eternal Knights 2
Eternal Knights 2 is a strategy RPG with slot machine elements released in 2008. Maria, along with Richter, and Shanoa are playable. Players can form their own teams out of several classes, one of which is the 'Vampire Hunter', where Richter and Maria fall under. The goal of the game is to complete dungeons to earn medals, which can be exchanged for prizes.
Image Gallery
 Maria from Rondo of Blood (1993) |
 Maria from the Rondo of Blood Official Guide (1993) |
 Maria from Castlevania: Dracula X (1995) |
 Maria from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997) |
 Maria from a pack-in manga that came with Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997) |
 Maria from Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (2006) |
 Maria from Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (2007) |
 Maria from The Dracula X Chronicles Original Soundtrack (2008) |
Maria from Castlevania: Nocturne of Reminiscence (2008) |
 Maria from Castlevania Judgment (2008) |
 Maria from the Ultimate Judge Guidebook (2009) |
 Maria from the Akumajo Dracula: Prize Collection Volume 1 (2009) |
 Maria from the Akumajo Dracula: Prize Collection Volume 2 (2009) |
Trivia
- In Rondo's localization, Dracula X and also in the English translation of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Annette is stated to be Maria Renard's older sister. (In these games, she has the surname Renard).
- This is probably because Maria refers to Annette in Rondo as onee-chan. This term literally mean 'older sister', but is also used by children and teenagers to address a woman older than themselves if her name is not known to them yet.
- Maria's Bloodtype is AB.
- Maria's voice actresses are Yoko Teppotsuka, Chisa Yokoyama and Sawa Ishige.
- Maria has a pet barn owl named Osca.
- Maria is a playable character selectable from the start of the game of the Sega Saturn version of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
- Maria alongside Richter are two secret unlcokable characters in Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, in which she returns to her orginal appearance and fighting style.
- In Castlevania 64, it's possible to unlock a costume for Carrie, which bears strong resemblance to Maria's orginal appearance.
- Maria's theme in Castlevania Judgment is Slash.