What is a man? A rug, perhaps

Castlevania began in 1986 on the Famicom and NES, from Konami: a vampire hunter named Simon Belmont climbs the stairs of Dracula's castle with a whip and a handful of holy water, fighting bats, skeletons, Medusa heads and Death himself. Over almost four decades, the Belmont clan has returned again and again to defeat Dracula every hundred years, and in 1997, Symphony of the Night, starring Dracula's half-human son Alucard, helped define a whole genre of exploration games, the "Metroidvania".

Dracula's castle against a blood-red moon is the classic image, and it suits a gothic bedroom or a retro game room.

Castlevania's gothic world, of candlelit halls, stained glass, gargoyles and an enormous moon, made it one of gaming's most atmospheric series, and the Netflix animated show introduced it to a new generation. A Castlevania rug brings that gothic romance into your room. Ours are printed into short velvet, so deep blacks, crimson, gold and moonlight come out rich and dramatic, and they go in the washing machine.

Dracula's castle

The castle itself is the star of the series: a vast, shifting fortress of towers, chapels, libraries, clock towers and underground caverns, rising above the Transylvanian countryside under a full moon. A castle silhouette, black against a huge white or blood-red moon, is the most iconic Castlevania design. It looks like gothic art to anyone who hasn't played, and it suits a dark living room, a study or a bedroom with a gothic theme. Our gothic rugs share the same mood.

Alucard

Alucard, Dracula's son, who turned against his father, with his flowing silver hair, black-and-gold cloak and elegant sword, is the series' most beloved character, thanks largely to Symphony of the Night and Ayami Kojima's dreamlike gothic illustrations. An Alucard portrait in that painterly style is one of the most beautiful gaming rugs there is, refined enough for a bedroom or a reading corner.

The Belmonts and the Vampire Killer

The Belmont clan, generation after generation of vampire hunters, carries the Vampire Killer, the sacred whip passed down from parent to child. Simon, Trevor, Richter, Juste and the rest each faced Dracula in their own century. A crossed whip and cross design, or the Belmont crest, is a bold, heraldic rug that would look at home in a castle hall, and works beautifully on a round rug.

Sub-weapons

Every Castlevania player knows the sub-weapons: the throwing axe, the dagger, the cross that returns like a boomerang, the holy water that bursts into flame, and the stopwatch that freezes time. Their little pixel icons, shown in the classic games' status bar, make a fun, retro design for a game room, a quiet nod for anyone who spent their hearts wisely.

The wall chicken

One of gaming's strangest traditions: in Castlevania, breaking a wall sometimes reveals a roast chicken, or a whole pot roast, which restores health, no questions asked. Fans adore it. A wall-chicken design is a perfect, funny Castlevania rug for a kitchen or dining nook, an inside joke that makes every old-school gamer smile every time. Choose Standard there, whose non-slip back grips tile.

The map of Symphony of the Night

Symphony of the Night's castle map, revealed square by square as you explore, is one of the most famous maps in gaming, and the moment fans discover there's an entire upside-down castle is unforgettable. A pixel-art map design, blue and red squares tracing the castle's halls on a black ground, is a clever, graphic rug for a retro game corner, beautiful as an abstract pattern and meaningful to anyone who reached 200 percent.

The clock tower

Almost every Castlevania has a clock tower: a vertical maze of gears, pendulums and moving platforms that has tested players' patience since 1986. Its great clock face, all brass gears and Roman numerals, makes a gorgeous round rug, mechanical and gothic at once, and a perfect fit for a steampunk-leaning study or a hallway lined with vintage clocks.

Stained glass and candles

Castlevania's halls are lit by candles in iron sconces and colored light through stained-glass windows. A stained-glass design, rich reds, blues and golds in leaded panels, perhaps with the castle or a rose at the center, is an elegant, almost churchlike rug that suits a gothic bedroom or a dark-academia study. In a room lit by warm, low lamps, it glows.

The monsters

Castlevania's bestiary is a who's who of gothic horror: Medusa heads that float in sine waves, skeletons throwing bones, flea men, mermen leaping from water, Frankenstein's creature, the Grim Reaper and Dracula himself, in all his forms. A monster design, Death with his scythe or Dracula on his throne, is a dramatic, Halloween-ready rug. Our Halloween rugs have more spooky designs for the season.

The music

Few game series have music as beloved as Castlevania's. The early themes, "Vampire Killer" and "Bloody Tears", are chiptune classics, and Michiru Yamane's scores for Symphony of the Night and later games blend gothic rock, baroque harpsichord and orchestral drama. Fans still play them at concerts. A Castlevania rug beside a piano or in a music room is a fitting tribute.

Aria of Sorrow and the handheld years

Many fans discovered the series on handhelds. Circle of the Moon, Harmony of Dissonance and Aria of Sorrow on the Game Boy Advance, and Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin and Order of Ecclesia on the DS, carried the Symphony of the Night formula forward. Aria of Sorrow, set in 2035 with the mysterious Soma Cruz, is a particular favorite. Designs inspired by those games, with their bright sprite art and anime-style portraits, are a nostalgic choice for players who grew up with a handheld in their hands.

Collections and the legacy

Konami has kept the classics alive through the Anniversary Collection, the Advance Collection and the Dominus Collection, bringing decades of games to modern consoles. Koji Igarashi, the producer of Symphony of the Night, went on to make Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, a spiritual successor funded by fans. The gothic, exploration-driven style Castlevania helped create has never been more popular.

The Netflix series

Netflix's Castlevania, which ran from 2017 to 2021, retold the story of Trevor Belmont, Sypha Belnades and Alucard in a dark, mature animated style, and its follow-up, Castlevania: Nocturne, carried the saga into the French Revolution with Richter Belmont. Designs inspired by the show, with its bold linework and blood-red skies, suit a home theater as well as a game room.

A gothic room

Castlevania's style is a natural fit for a gothic or vampire-themed room. Pair a castle or stained-glass rug with black or deep burgundy walls, dark wood furniture, velvet cushions, iron candle holders and a few old books. Keep the lighting warm and low. It's a look that works year-round, and one that comes into its own in October.

A retro game corner

For collectors with old consoles and cartridges, a pixel-art Castlevania rug, the classic castle entrance or Simon on the stairs, is pure nostalgia. If your shelf also holds Metroid, the other half of the Metroidvania name, or modern heirs like Hollow Knight, a Castlevania rug ties the collection together. Gothic hunters will also enjoy our Bloodborne rugs.

Your own crest

Some fans design their own family crest in the Belmont style, or want a favorite piece of Castlevania-inspired art they've drawn on the floor. Our custom rugs print any design in any size up to 5′11″ × 10′, or as a round rug up to 5.9 ft (180 cm).

Colors and rooms

Castlevania's palette is black, crimson, gold and moonlit silver, with jewel-toned stained glass. It suits dark, dramatic rooms and warm lighting. A pixel-art design adds the bright, limited colors of the 8-bit era, which look great against black furniture in a retro corner.

Sizes and levels

A castle under the moon suits a rectangle, 4×6 or 5×7 ft. The Belmont crest, a stained-glass rose or a sub-weapon icon suits a 3.3 to 4.6 ft (100 to 140 cm) round rug. A wall chicken suits a 2×3 ft kitchen rug. Choose Standard for kitchens, doorways and gaming chairs, and Premium, 7 mm plush velvet on a bamboo and cotton back, for a gothic bedroom.

Gifts

A Castlevania rug is a great gift for a retro gamer, a fan of the Netflix series or anyone who loves gothic style. If you aren't sure which design to choose, Dracula's castle under the moon is the safest, since every game in the series, from 1986 to today, returns to it. Every rug is printed to order in 1–3 business days and ships from Turkey; US delivery usually takes 2–5 business days after that.

Care

Machine wash on a gentle, cold cycle and let it air dry flat. Vacuum on a low setting between washes. The design is printed into the fibers, so the crimson stays rich and the moonlight stays silver, night after night.

A note on the series

What a horrible night

Simon's Quest, the 1987 sequel, added a day-and-night cycle and a now-famous message every time darkness fell: what a horrible night to have a curse. A rug that splits a gothic forest between day and night, with a full moon over the dark half, is a fun deep cut for players who remember the NES era and its cryptic villagers.

Padrift is an independent studio. Castlevania and its characters are named to describe what our designs are inspired by; we are not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by Konami or Netflix.