Medusa (メデューサ) is a long-recurring secondary villainess in the game series "Castlevania", aka. "Akumajou Dracula" (悪魔城ドラキュラ), beginning with the very first entry on the Nintendo Famicom in 1986.
Medusa, particularly in her first several game appearances, is often accompanied by four other enemies: a giant vampire bat called Phantom Bat, one or two mummies named "Akmodan", Frankenstein's Monster, and Death. These five monsters made up the only five bosses that served under Dracula in the first game.
She is a creature whose upper body resembles a human, while the lower resembles that of a serpent. Often in the video game series, she will be depicted as only a severed head, referencing her decapitation at the hands of Perseus in Greek mythology. In almost every incarnation, she has the ability to turn the protagonist to stone.
Castlevania (1986)[]
| Japanese Title | Akumajou Dracula (悪魔城ドラキュラ) |
|---|---|
| System | Famicom Disk System |
| Ports | NES, Famicom (cassette), Commodore 64, IBM PC, Amiga, Gameboy Advance, Wii Virtual Console, Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, Wii U Virtual Console, Mobile |
Medusa appears as the boss of the torture lab, the second stage of the game.
Vampire Killer (1986)[]
| Japanese Title | Akumajou Dracula (悪魔城ドラキュラ) |
|---|---|
| System | MSX2 |
| Ports | Wii U Virtual Console |
Appears in the same location as in Castlevania, which features a different color palette and gameplay style to this title.
Haunted Castle (1988)[]
| Japanese Title | Akumajou Dracula (悪魔城ドラキュラ) |
|---|---|
| System | Arcade |
| Ports | Playstation 2 |
Medusa appears as a boss at the end of the first stage, the graveyard.
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (1989)[]
| Japanese Title | Akumajou Densetsu (悪魔城伝説) |
|---|---|
| System | Famicom/NES |
| Ports | Wii Virtual Console, Wii U Virtual Console, Mobile |
Medusa is encountered as a mid-boss of the fourth stage, The Haunted Ship of Fools.
Super Castlevania IV (1991)[]
| Japanese Title | Akumajou Dracula (悪魔城ドラキュラ) |
|---|---|
| System | Super Famicom/SNES |
| Ports | Wii Virtual Console, Wii U Virtual Console |
Concept art.
Encountered as a mid-boss of the second stage, the Graveyard.
Castlevania Chronicles (1993)[]
| Japanese Title | Akumajou Dracula (悪魔城ドラキュラ) |
|---|---|
| System | Sharp X68000 |
| Ports | Playstation |
Encountered as the boss of the fourth stage, the Chapel
.
Akumajou Dracula X: Chi no Rondo (1993)[]
| Japanese Title | 悪魔城ドラキュラX 血の輪廻 |
|---|---|
| System | PC Engine CD |
| Ports | Wii Virtual Console, Playstation Portable |
Concept art from manual.
One of many bosses in stage 5, the Hidden Docks and stage 6, the Marble Gallery, she is summoned alongside Phantom Bat, Akmodan and Frankenstein's Monster, directly before the battle with Shaft.
Castlevania Bloodlines (1994)[]
| Japanese Title | Vampire Killer |
|---|---|
| System | Sega Mega Drive/Genesis |
One of many bosses in the sixth and final stage in England, she is summoned directly prior to the battle with Elizabeth Bathory.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997)[]
| Japanese Title | Akumajou Dracula X: Gekka no Yasoukyoku (悪魔城ドラキュラX 月下の夜想曲) |
|---|---|
| System | Playstation |
| Ports | Sega Saturn, Xbox 360, Playstation Portable |
Encountered as the boss of the Chapel stage inside of the inverted castle. For the first time, she fights using a sword and shield. She is the guardian of the Heart of Vlad, one of five relics that are required for Dracula's resurrection.
Castlevania Legends (1997)[]
| Japanese Title | Akumajou Dracula: Shikkoku Taru Zensokyoku (悪魔城ドラキュラ 漆黒たる前奏曲) |
|---|---|
| System | Game Boy Color |
Encountered as a mid-boss in the fourth and final stage, the Castle Keep.
Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness (1999)[]
| Japanese Title | Akumajou Dracula Mokushiroku: Gaiden ~Legend of Cornell~(悪魔城ドラキュラ黙示録 外伝 レジェンド オブ コーネル) |
|---|---|
| System | Nintendo 64 |
Official concept art.
Encountered as a boss at the end of the Underground Waterway stage in both Carrie Fernandez and Henry Oldrey's quests.
Castlevania: Resurrection (Cancelled)[]
Medusa was planned as a boss character for this cancelled title which was being developed for the Sega Dreamcast.
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (2003)[]
| Japanese Title | Castlevania |
|---|---|
| System | Playstation 2 |
| Ports | Playstation Network |
Encountered as a boss in the Garden Forgotten by Time stage. This marks the first time that Medusa has a speaking role. She plans to petrify the game's hero, Leon Belmont, and add him to her collection of "statues".
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (2006)[]
| Japanese Title | Akumajou Dracula: Gallery of Labyrinth (悪魔城ドラキュラ ギャラリー オブ ラビリンス) |
|---|---|
| System | Nintendo DS |
Encountered as the boss of the Burnt Paradise stage. One of her largest incarnations, she is also able to fully transform into a serpent for a brief period.
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (2007)[]
| Japanese Title | Akumajou Dracula X Chronicle (悪魔城ドラキュラ Xクロニクル) |
|---|---|
| System | Playstation Portable |
