In 2017, an animated adaptation of the popular Castlevania video games debuted on Netflix. A second season followed in 2018. The series took many of it’s elements from Konami’s Castlevania 3: Dracula’s Curse for the Nintendo Entertainment System, which greatly expanded the lore for the series. After his wife is accused of witchcraft and burned alive, Count Dracula wages war on Eastern Europe. Trevor Belmont, a disgraced monster hunter, becomes the latest Belmont to face off against Vlad Dracula Tepes. He is joined on his quest by magician Sypha Belnades, and Dracula’s own son, Alucard.
The new figures by Diamond Select Toys represent the first Castlevania figures since NECA’s line from 2007. Trevor Belmont, Sypha Belnades, and Alucard each stand about 7″ tall, with roughly 16 points of articulation. They include character specific weapons and accessories, as well as multiple interchangeable parts. Castlevania Select series 1 is in stores now, with a second series on the way. Our friends at Diamond Select Toys have sent over the figures. After the jump, check out my thoughts on the new series, and a full photo gallery of the figures.
Castlevania Select Series 1 Figures by Diamond Select Toys
Pros
- Fantastic looking sculpts
- Each figure has a large selection of swap out hands
- Trevor is jam packed with weapons
- Nice paint work
- Solid articulation
- Hands and portraits swap out very easily
Cons
- Sypha’s articulation is negated by the outfit
- Trevor wasn’t packed with Grip hands
- Figures don’t include features from original solicitation images
Overall
The Castlevania figures are packed in the book-end style Select packaging that DST is known for. The back of the packaging showcases the figure, as well as a bio for each character. The figures sit in a plastic tray, with a number of ties holding them in. Trevor includes six sets of hands, a long sword and sheath, a short sword and sheath, a bucket, a whip, and a chain whip. Alucard includes two swap out heads, a sword and sheath, a blue flame sword, and six sets of hands. Sypha includes four sets of hands, and an additional left and right hand with magic effects.
With the new line being based on the animated series, the figures take on a much more streamlined, anime-inspired look. Thankfully, this doesn’t mean the figures lack in details. The sculpts for each figure are quite excellent, and basically look like they stepped right out of the series. Texture work, especially on Trevor’s outfit, has some nice intricate work. Portraits for each look spot on as well. Paint work here is bright and clean. There’s little to no noticeable paint bleed anywhere, and detail lines are crisp. Each figure includes a number of swap out hands, which pop off and snap in with no issues at all. While some are a bit too similar, it does give fans some great display options. Alucard also includes a swap out portrait, and I was able to change those out without needing to heat up the neck joint. Articulation is decent, and none of the joints had any paint locking issues. Joint quality was good as well, and nothing felt overly loose or felt like there would be snapping issues. Of the three, Trevor features the most accessories. Having two types of sword and both iconic whips makes for some fun posing and display options. The others include appropriate parts, as Sypha mainly relied on Magic, and Alucard really only used the sword in the 1st season (which these figures are based on).
I did run into a few things that tempered my excitement for the figures a bit. When originally shown at conventions, and in the original solicitation images, both Trevor and Alucard had double jointed elbows. However, the final figures do not. Trevor has also been shown with a cloak, and rolled up versions of both of his whips, which would have been mountable to the hooks on his hips. None of those are included in the final release, and I couldn’t get the whips to sit on the hooks long enough to get a photo. Heating them up may allow them to be rolled more tightly. Sypha’s fully sculpted robes hinder her articulation, especially in her legs and elbows. The plastic used is fairly solid, so there’s not much that can be done there outside of removing the top layer of her cloak. My Trevor Belmont did not include a set of standard grip hands. I had to cut off the throwing knives from two of them, but they did hold the weapons without issue after that. That may be an isolated issue, but I’m not sure.
In the end, this is a solid start for the line. Fans of the series should be fairly pleased with the final products. The figures look excellent in hand, and each release includes a good amount of parts and accessories. The next assortment adds some much needed enemies to the line, including Dracula himself. Look for that wave to hit this summer. You can check out a selection of images below, and the full gallery after that.
Castlevania Select Series 1 Figures by Diamond Select Toys - Toyark Photo Shoot




Hi, i just got my Alucard and Trevor yesterday, and yeah the finger thing is a common problem. Of the four hands that hold daggers, two of them are glued in and can be peeled off. I was missing the big cape, that would have been cool, and the pale of water should have a disk of blue at the top going off the previews. But overall i'm impressed.
I really appreciate this review and photo gallery, as I saw that these were out but there was no info on them and their quality. Glad to hear that they're all solid releases, but yeah, I knew that there was no way that Sypha's elbows were bending for shit after taking one look at those joints. Do they even bend at all?
Speaking of elbows, how much range do you get out of Alucard and Trevor? The pics in the review look like they really don't go much past 90 degrees, but I just wanted to confirm. I mean, can Alucard do 2-handed sword poses?
As for the lack of double-jointed elbows, you'll notice that while the solicitation images do indeed have them, they're also lacking bicep swivels. I assume that Diamond Select compromised and went with single-jointed elbows an bicep swivels instead? Who knows?
Bigger bummer regarding Trevor's lack of cape, rolled-up whips, and gripping hands. As for the hands, does it look like it was supposed to come with gripping hands but they forgot to include them with the specific figure you got (QC issue), or is this affecting the entire run?
Anyway, great review, Joe. You always deliver the goods.
BTW, fun piece of trivia about the show, which I just started watching (and am currently loving)- despite looking like traditional Anime, it's actually a 100% American-made production, from the writer (Warren Ellis, who earned permanent godhood for Nextwave: Agents of HATE alone) to the animation studio (some outfit in Texas, of all places). Really impressive stuff, and as a huge Castlevania: Symphony of the Night fan, it's so cool seeing Alucard in action.
Vampire Killer intensifies...
If only diamond would release a vampire hunter d figure.
"Yes, fuck you."
Then they both laugh and sit down. I love it.
I skipped the Castlevania figures from years back and have regretted it since, so even though I'm not 100% a fan of the looks from this series I still may get them before I one day regret missing out again.
Speaking of elbows, how much range do you get out of Alucard and Trevor? The pics in the review look like they really don't go much past 90 degrees, but I just wanted to confirm. I mean, can Alucard do 2-handed sword poses?
As for the lack of double-jointed elbows, you'll notice that while the solicitation images do indeed have them, they're also lacking bicep swivels. I assume that Diamond Select compromised and went with single-jointed elbows an bicep swivels instead? Who knows?
Bigger bummer regarding Trevor's lack of cape, rolled-up whips, and gripping hands. As for the hands, does it look like it was supposed to come with gripping hands but they forgot to include them with the specific figure you got (QC issue), or is this affecting the entire run?
Anyway, great review, Joe. You always deliver the goods.
BTW, fun piece of trivia about the show, which I just started watching (and am currently loving)- despite looking like traditional Anime, it's actually a 100% American-made production, from the writer (Warren Ellis, who earned permanent godhood for Nextwave: Agents of HATE alone) to the animation studio (some outfit in Texas, of all places). Really impressive stuff, and as a huge Castlevania: Symphony of the Night fan, it's so cool seeing Alucard in action.
From what people are saying on social media is the Trevor’s hand issue is on the entire run. Fortunately, those throwing knives come off really easily, it’s a separate piece glued in.
I wish they would do game accurate Castlevania toys like NECA did for 30 seconds a decade ago.
Not a fan of the animated series. I watched the first season and it was so boring and hardly anything like Castlevania. The least they could have done was given the show a gothic rock operatic soundtrack.
you should continue watching as it gets better, i didn't care too much for the first season but enjoy it more as it went on. i'm also not a "fan" of Castlevania so i dunno if that matters lol
I mean, it's about Dracula and a guy named Belmont with a whip who fights him and his monsters and it uses Ayami Kojima-style art & character designs, so I fail to see about the inaccuracies you're talking about.
I'm hoping the announced season 3 deals with the Symphony of the Night storyline (it's really the only direction that makes sense given the ending of season 2) so we can possibly get some figures based on that game. Alucard looks fine in season 1 & 2 but I'd really like to have a figure based on his gothic renaissance look from that game. The NECA one released years ago is okay, but it has a lot of shortcomings and it's really expensive on the secondary market.
This is what Castlevania should sound like:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej9W...S&index=7&t=0s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPAl...F2CcS&index=21
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwuU...&index=22&t=0s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOr0Zr5Ua2Q
As for the NECA figures, yes, they left a lot to be desired. They also never even bothered to at least finish off the cast with Maria and Richter, but they went ahead with a pointless Succubus figure.
Not a fan of the animated series. I watched the first season and it was so boring and hardly anything like Castlevania. The least they could have done was given the show a gothic rock operatic soundtrack.
But not in a bad way, just different. Give the next season a go. The second season does delve more into the lore, though, and they do eventually play a song from the games (although it's likely they really can't use the game music very much because of rights issues and not having Konami themselves involved with production).
I mean, it's about Dracula and a guy named Belmont with a whip who fights him and his monsters and it uses Ayami Kojima-style art & character designs, so I fail to see about the inaccuracies you're talking about.
I'm hoping the announced season 3 deals with the Symphony of the Night storyline (it's really the only direction that makes sense given the ending of season 2) so we can possibly get some figures based on that game. Alucard looks fine in season 1 & 2 but I'd really like to have a figure based on his gothic renaissance look from that game. The NECA one released years ago is okay, but it has a lot of shortcomings and it's really expensive on the secondary market.
Castlevania is supposed to be about a Belmont traveling through a huge castle full of gothic designs, battling various monsters, bosses, acquiring new items, all encompassed by an exceptional gothic rock operatic soundtrack. The animated series was Trevor and Sypha talking to each other and maybe fight a monster every few episodes, and they weren't even actual Castlevania monsters, but like I said, generic creatures.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej9W...S&index=7&t=0s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPAl...F2CcS&index=21
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwuU...&index=22&t=0s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOr0Zr5Ua2Q
Personal favorite of mine, which would have been awesome to hear in the Netflix series:
[youtube]wHpMdgM0Sb4[/youtube]
Castlevania Season 3 debuts on March 5th. Netflix announced it today.
According to a 2010 thread in the The Castlevania Dungeon forum, this is a list of every game in the series that cheated the 100 year rule so far:
Curse of Darkness (1479)
Simon's Quest (1498)
Harmony of Dissonance (1748)
Dracula X/Rondo of Blood (1972)
Symphony of the Night (1797)
Circle of the Moon (1830)
Legacy of Darkness (1844)
Castlevania 64 (1852)
Order of Ecclesia (Mid 1800s)
Bloodlines (1917)
Portrait of Ruin (1944)
Curse of Darkness (1479)
Simon's Quest (1498)
Harmony of Dissonance (1748)
Dracula X/Rondo of Blood (1972)
Symphony of the Night (1797)
Circle of the Moon (1830)
Legacy of Darkness (1844)
Castlevania 64 (1852)
Order of Ecclesia (Mid 1800s)
Bloodlines (1917)
Portrait of Ruin (1944)
Curse of Darkness, SotN, Order of Ecclesia, Bloodlines, and Portrait of Ruin had someone else trying to resurrect Dracula early. He wasn't just reborn then. Bram Stoker's novel is his first true reincarnation since Rondo.
Also, Circle of the Moon is not a cannonical game. I also believe Konami removed the N64 games too.
As for Simon's Quest, Dracula's not truly in the game. Additionally, Simon's Quest is 1698, not 1498. Oh, and the same for Harmony of Dissonance, Dracula is not back, the villains are just collecting his remains.
Lastly, Rondo of Blood didn't cheat because that's about the 100 year mark from Simon's job.
Curse of Darkness, SotN, Order of Ecclesia, Bloodlines, and Portrait of Ruin had someone else trying to resurrect Dracula early. He wasn't just reborn then. Bram Stoker's novel is his first true reincarnation since Rondo.
Also, Circle of the Moon is not a cannonical game. I also believe Konami removed the N64 games too.
As for Simon's Quest, Dracula's not truly in the game. Additionally, Simon's Quest is 1698, not 1498. Oh, and the same for Harmony of Dissonance, Dracula is not back, the villains are just collecting his remains.
Lastly, Rondo of Blood didn't cheat because that's about the 100 year mark from Simon's job.
I have never played the N64 games since I never had an N64 and I was never able to beat the two NES sequels. Same goes for the Playstation remake of the original game. Oh, and I never bothered with the two Lords of Shadows sequels due to how terrible the first one was.
I have beaten everything else though. My top favorites include Lament of Innocence, Rondo of Blood/Dracula X Chronicles, Symphony of the Night, Bloodlines, Order of Ecclesia, and Aria of Sorrow.
I absolutely loved the franchise until Konami screwed it up. I am ashamed to say that I have not gotten Bloodstained yet though.
Aria of Sorrow is my fave
Keep reading: DST Casltevania Series 1 Gallery - Page 2
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